The agriculture industry pressed the Trump administration Friday to find ways to open the European Union on trade, saying the upcoming talks with EU officials were an opportunity to break down its protectionist policies, such as preventing U.S. cheesemakers to use European names like “Parmesan” for their products.
“The EU limits the entry of lower priced grains from non-EU countries through quotas and a reference price system based on U.S. exchange prices and transportation costs,” testified U.S. Grains Council Director of Trade Policy Floyd Gaibler at a hearing Friday hosted by the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office. “The U.S. government should demand that the EU eliminate the price reference system and commit to maintaining zero duties” on agricultural products.
