WASHINGTON - The ongoing trade frictions initiated by the United States have had a significant impact on US dairy product exports, a US dairy industry expert said. The US dairy industry, which has become increasingly dependent on foreign markets after years of shrinking domestic consumption, has been stung by the trade disputes provoked by Washington. The Trump administration's new tariffs on many countries, including Mexico, Canada and China, major destinations for US milk products, have prompted retaliatory actions. Retaliations from Mexico and China, two vital export markets for the US, have damaged US dairy farmers and companies, said Castaneda, who has been in the industry for more than 19 years. Mexico, accounting for roughly one-fourth of total US dairy exports, has recently added as high as 25-percent tariffs on US-made cheeses as a punishment for US steel and aluminum tariffs.