User:Alevitt05/U.S. Dairy Export Council

The U.S. Dairy Export Council is a non-profit, independent membership organization that represents the export trade interests of U.S. milk producers, proprietary processors, dairy cooperatives, and export traders. The Council was founded in 1995 by Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), the farmer-funded marketing, promotion and research organization, to build global demand for U.S. dairy products and assist the industry in increasing the volume and value of exports.

USDEC accomplishes these goals through market development programs that seek to:

* Build overseas demand for U.S. dairy products * Resolve market access barriers * Advance the industry's trade policy goals

USDEC activities are supported by staff in Mexico, Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, South America, Middle East, the Caribbean, Central America, Vietnam, Russia and Europe.

USDEC is funded primarily by the dairy promotion check-off program. It also receives export activity support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). Membership dues fund the trade policy and lobbying activities of the Council.