Trump Administration Determined to Fight Common Food Names

The U.S. Trade Representative’s office has released a report that showcases President Trump’s determination to fight against abuses of geographical indicators, particularly by the EU.

The USTR says the European Union uses GIs to erect barriers to U.S. exports which can negatively impact jobs and hurt trade opportunities for the U.S.

Executive Director for the Consortium of Common Food Names Jamie Castaneda said GIs can be beneficial and most countries do have some truly unique foods that should be protected, but “The EU’s approach is far from properly targeted. Rather, it is a system designed to steal commonly used names from those who built markets for those products and monopolize use of those terms in foreign and domestic markets.”

The U.S. Dairy Industry announced strong support for the U.S. Trade Representative’s office after the report was released.

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