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Farmer hopes for important updates in USMCA review

A Wisconsin dairy farmer is hoping this summer’s review of the USMCA trade deal will take care of the loopholes that allow unintended trade problems.

Amber Horn-Leiterman tells Brownfield that USMCA is, overall, a good deal, and Canada and Mexico account for 40% of U.S. exports, but there is a glaring violation in dairy trade that needs to be resolved. “We’re going to allow you access, but we’re only going to allow access through Canadian processors. Well, that really doesn’t help us get our product into the Canadian market.”

Horn-Leiterman says Canada also agreed to allow certain amounts of specific U.S. products, but they haven’t met those obligations. “There really is nothing in place saying that, well, if you don’t meet this metric, this is what’s going to happen. There’s nothing there. There’s no enforcement, and that comes to that skim milk powder as well, or other milk protein concentrates that they put on the market or flood the market with at an artificially low price.”

Horn-Leiterman compares Canadian trade to raising teenagers. “You know, when you’re a teenager, you always want to negotiate that curfew and you know, it’s kind of what Canada reminds me of. They’re constantly trying to renegotiate but not to our face. It’s finding the loopholes and how they can get away with this and get away with that.”

Horn-Leiterman says the current trade problems also block Canadian consumers from finding many products they would like to get for recipes found online.

Horn-Leiterman operates a sixth-generation 15-hundred cow dairy farm near Brillion, Wisconsin, with her brother and parents.

Horn-Leiterman spoke to Brownfield during the Farmers for Free Trade panel discussion at Bel Gioioso Cheese in Green Bay, Wisconsin May 6^th.

AUDIO: Amber Horn-Leiterman discusses USMCA and the Canadian dairy trade issues with Brownfield’s Larry Lee during a Farmers for Free Trade discussion in Green Bay, Wisconsin 5/6/26.