SAVE Act Seeks to Reclaim Use of Common Cheese Names

American dairy producers have enjoyed marketing parmesan, feta and other common cheeses worldwide for the past 20 years. But an aggressive European Union (EU) campaign prevents U.S. cheese producers from participating in certain world markets. The EU is using free trade agreement negotiations to restrict the use of common names. The unfair practice is harming America’s dairy producers.

However, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) says a congressional solution is on the horizon. The bipartisan Safeguarding American Value-Added Exports (SAVE) Act was introduced in May and would spur more significant action from U.S. administrations to protect common names. Tony Rice, policy manager for NMPF, says the SAVE Act directs the secretary of agriculture to determine a list of frequent common names subject to restrictions worldwide and deem those restrictions an unfair trade practice. No such list exists today.

Read more on the SAVE Act and its impact on U.S. dairy producers here.