As America rapidly pursues bilateral trade deals around the world, the dairy industry is positioning itself strategically to capitalize on emerging opportunities, according to a top trade official speaking on a recent industry podcast.
Shawna Morris, who serves as executive vice president for both the National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council, highlighted the industry’s forward-thinking strategy during an appearance on the Dairy Defined Podcast released today.
“On the whole, a lot of good stuff coming down the pipe,” Morris stated, pointing to potential agreements with Indonesia and Taiwan as particularly promising for major market growth. The optimism comes as dairy exports achieved their second-strongest performance on record in 2025.
Morris explained that her organizations are working at the same aggressive pace as federal negotiators, both in providing guidance on new trade agreements and protecting existing market access abroad.
“Our focus really is on, how do we make sure that we’re keeping the doors open, and also looking at some of the policy tools that can be leveraged in order to expand consumption or dairy access more broadly,” Morris said.
The executive emphasized that the dairy sector’s success stems from a proactive strategy that prioritizes understanding and addressing the core needs of the industry.
