Late last week, a group of lawmakers joined Representative Ron Kind, a Wisconsin Democrat, in a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer detailing the issue.
The lawmakers say U.S. dairy will have “inferior access to the market compared to competitors,” like the European Union and signatories of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
The agreement fails to level the playing field for U.S. exports of cheese, butter, skim milk powder, ice cream and condensed milk, according to the lawmakers.
The administration is required to consult with Congress when new trade agreement negotiations are happening in order to ensure any new agreement would include access for key agriculture sectors like dairy, according to the letter.
However, “Those conversations never happened.” Representative Kind adds President Donald Trump “needs to stop using our farmers as pawns and start making trade deals that empower them.”