WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced Tuesday a formal request to establish a dispute settlement panel to investigate Canada’s dairy practices under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

Top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee Kevin Brady (R-TX) released the following statement after the announcement:

“Ambassador Tai is right to use USMCA’s powerful new enforcement mechanism to hold Canada accountable for unfair treatment of U.S. dairy products. Amidst a number of concerning USMCA implementation issues, including in Mexico’s energy and agricultural sectors, we must not hesitate to stand up for the rights of American farmers, workers, families, and businesses. I urge the Administration to fully enforce all aspects of the agreement in order to maintain the strong bipartisan support that it enjoys.” 

In December 2020, the United States launched formal consultations, the first step in addressing U.S. concerns that Canada’s implementation of its dairy tariff-rate quotas discriminates against American dairy products.