U.S. President Donald Trump took aim at Canadian dairy regulations on Tuesday, telling factory workers in Wisconsin that North American Free Trade rules between the U.S. and Canada are a "complete and total disaster" for the U.S.
Speaking in Kenosha, the president specifically mentioned Canada's dairy supply management system, which he called "one-sided" and one which doesn't let U.S. farmers compete fairly.
Canada recently changed its policies on ultra-filtered milk, a protein liquid concentrate used to make cheese, to favour domestic suppliers over U.S. producers. It had been duty-free since the first NAFTA agreement first took effect in 1994, but the federal government changed the rules after dairy farmers in Ontario complained about prices.
About 70 dairy producers in both Wisconsin and New York are affected by the new rules, and have lobbied the U.S. government for action on the file.
Trump repeated his desire to alter rules that govern the more than $1 billion in cross-border trade that passes between the U.S. and Canada every day.
