US dairy denies trying to block NZ infant formula

The US dairy industry’s voice in Washington has scotched speculation it is blocking New Zealand efforts to help relieve America’s acute infant formula shortage and get a toehold in the lucrative market — but is clear it would oppose our product imports long-term.

The US National Milk Producers’ Federation also told the Herald it was lobbying the US Government to adjust policy to allow the US to become an infant formula exporter to create a supply surplus buffer should a shortage occur again.

“We have not asked the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) to block New Zealand applications,” said NMPF senior vice-president trade policy, Shawna Morris.

“We’ve been on record for a while now that while we are still facing a short-term acute crisis of formula availability we support the Government doing whatever needs to be done to bring back, short-term, supplies of this product.”

Morris said US infant formula production had been in line with domestic market needs.

“If, instead, US production was higher and we too were in exports like New Zealand and some European countries you would have some natural buffer . . . so our recommendations have been that the US Government really needs to look at what policies are making it more difficult to produce infant formula here in the US, and how those can be adjusted so the US can be more of an exporter and so create a cushion, should something like this [occur] in the future.”

Infant formula exports returns are forecast to fall below $1.5b this year.