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Perdue defends common food names during EU tour

Dairy groups are applauding Ag Secretary Perdue for protecting common product names.

The U.S. Dairy Export Council, National Milk Producers Federation, and the Consortium for Common Food Names issued a joint statement that thanked Perdue for rebuking Geographical Indications because they are trade barriers.

Perdue has been visiting European Union countries this week, and has made it clear the EU must drop its aggressive campaign to confiscate common food names in order to successfully negotiate a trade deal with the U.S.

The dairy groups say Europe’s unfair trade barriers have less to do with preserving the rights of legitimate GI’s than with restricting competition from exceptional U.S. products.