In an effort organized by the National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council, 70 dairy companies, farmer-owned cooperatives and associations sent a letter Monday to the U.S. Trade Representative ambassador and the U.S. secretary of agriculture asking the U.S. government to capitalize on the conclusion of Japan’s national elections and quickly finalize a strong trade deal with Japan in order to secure critical market access for the domestic dairy industry. The U.S. exported $270 million in dairy products to Japan in 2018. Without a strong U.S.-Japan trade agreement, half of U.S. dairy sales to Japan will be wrested by competitors, the industries said in a joint press release. (Feedstuffs)