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Dairy industry wary of European GIs

National Milk Producers Federation vice president and U.S. Dairy Export Council member Shawna Morris told a Senate subcommittee the U.S.-Korea free trade agreement would be a fine model for the Trans Pacific Partnership…with one exception; Geographical Indicators.

Morris told the Senate Finance Committee trade subcommittee that the U.S.-South Korea free trade agreement eliminated nearly all tariffs on U.S. dairy products and our dairy exports have more than doubled the average of the last three years.  However, Korea’s trade deal with the European Union has prompted them to block some U.S. cheeses.  She specifically mentioned gorgonzola, feta, asiago and fontina cheese as products being targeted.

Morris says the EU has also been successful protecting G.I.s in trade deals with Central America, Peru, Columbia, South Africa and Canada.  They are working on similar deals with Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and China.

The European Union contends that a number of products including cheeses and wines can only be produced in specific areas because they possess qualities or characteristics specific to that area.  The U.S. dairy industry counters that many of the cheeses in question would not even be known outside a tiny area were it not for American manufacturers and distribution.  They argue consumers only know the taste and qualities of the American product when purchasing that cheese.

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