CONTACTS:

CONTACTS:

Chris Galen, NMPF PHONE: (703) 243-6111 FAX: 703-841-9328 cgalen@nmpf.org

Alan Levitt, USDEC PHONE: (703) 528-4801 FAX: 703-528-3705 alevitt@usdec.org

The National Milk Producers Federation and U.S. Dairy Export Council commended the Senate Thursday for taking key steps toward approval of new Trade Promotion Authority legislation next week. By passing two trade bills with broad bipartisan support and then voting to proceed with debate on TPA, the Senate paved the way for possible approval of the legislation before Memorial Day.

“New trade promotion authority is crucial to securing well-negotiated trade agreements that open foreign markets to more U.S. dairy products,” said NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern.

Added USDEC President Tom Suber: “Knowing that a trade agreement will be considered by Congress under trade promotion authority paves the way to press our negotiating partners to make their best offers on the most sensitive issues. Clearly, dairy exports fall into that category and the U.S. needs all the tools it can muster to get the best possible deal.”

TPA, which expired in 2007, is particularly important to the U.S. dairy industry because the United States now exports the equivalent of one-seventh of its milk production. TPA is the vital pathway to concluding balanced trade agreements that can unlock future export opportunities, NMPF and USDEC said.

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The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), based in Arlington, Va., develops and carries out policies that advance the well-being of U.S. dairy producers and the cooperatives they collectively own. The members of NMPF's cooperatives produce the majority of the U.S, milk supply, making NMPF the voice of nearly 32,000 dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies. For more on NMPF's activities, visit www.nmpf.org.

The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) is a non-profit, independent membership organization that represents the global trade interests of U.S. dairy producers, proprietary processors and cooperatives, ingredient suppliers and export traders. Its mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and assist the U.S. industry to increase its global dairy ingredient sales and exports of U.S. dairy products.