CORRECTED COPY
LRB-4399/1
SRM:eev&sac:rs
2013 - 2014 LEGISLATURE
March 13, 2014 - Introduced by Senator Petrowski, cosponsored by Representative
Petryk. Referred to Committee on Senate Organization.
SJR88,1,2
1Relating to: the registration of geographic indications pertaining to dairy terms
2traditionally used generically in the United States and worldwide.
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Whereas, Wisconsin leads the United States in annual total cheese production;
4and
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Whereas, dairy plays a critical role in the Wisconsin economy and accounts for
6approximately half of total state agricultural receipts; and
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Whereas, United States cheese exports have steadily increased throughout the
8years, reaching a new record of $183 million last year and growing by over 70 percent
9in just the past two years; and
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Whereas, foreign governments, specifically the European Union, are seeking
11to limit competition from U.S. companies, particularly in value-added areas such as
12cheese, by restricting the use of commonly used product terms through the
13registration of improper geographic indications; and
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1Whereas, product names commonly used in Wisconsin that already face bans
2on their usage in certain world markets include Asiago, feta, fontina, Gorgonzola,
3Grana, Gruyère, Muenster, Neufchâtel, and Parmesan; and
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Whereas, other product names that are also at risk of being banned include
5Brie, Camembert, Cheddar, Edam, Emmental, Gouda, mozzarella, pecorino, and
6provolone; and
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Whereas, as a result, serious concerns exist that the abuse of geographic
8indication applications targeting commonly used cheese names threatens the
9continued expansion of Wisconsin cheese exports and threatens the expansion of new
10markets for the entire $59 billion Wisconsin agriculture industry; now, therefore, be
11it
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12Resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring, That the legislature
13urges U.S. trade negotiators to combat inappropriate restrictions on the use of
14common food names, where those barriers to trade and commerce take the form of
15geographic indications or other similarly unjustified regulatory impediments.
