By Dairy Dimension Editorial Team | May 2025
In a strategic step toward a more agile and responsive dairy trade, Arla Foods has announced it will begin offering European-sourced skim milk powder (SMP) through GDT Pulse on 12 May 2025. The move positions Arla as the latest major supplier to join the Global Dairy Trade (GDT) Pulse platform, a faster-paced auction model launched in 2022 to complement the traditional GDT Events.
GDT Pulse was created by GDT and Fonterra to provide more frequent, shorter-duration auctions, typically lasting 10–20 minutes, to enhance price discovery and flexibility in global dairy markets. Arla’s participation marks an important expansion of the platform beyond its New Zealand-centric base, with the addition of European product flows and trade visibility.
“We’re excited to welcome Arla to GDT Pulse,” said Justin Matijasevich, interim CEO of Global Dairy Trade. “Their participation will expand opportunities for buyers and add further momentum to the GDT Pulse pilot.”
Arla will list its SMP during non-GDT Event weeks, offering buyers more regular access to pricing and procurement windows — a critical advantage in volatile commodity environments where timing can significantly influence outcomes.
“Joining GDT Pulse is a natural evolution of our sales strategy,” added Thomas Carstensen, Senior Vice President at Arla Foods. “It allows us a flexible new way to connect with customers and offer our products more frequently.”
🧠 A Nuanced Signal for Dairy Markets
While Arla has long been a trusted supplier in global dairy, its participation in GDT Pulse has broader implications. It signals growing European interest in digital dairy trade infrastructure, especially in real-time price signalling. For buyers, this move offers increased transparency and optionality — not just in sourcing origin, but in timing and liquidity.
For Indian exporters and processors watching global SMP trends closely, the evolution of GDT Pulse could reshape how forward pricing is benchmarked, especially as buyers increasingly calibrate their decisions between global auction signals and bilateral trade flows.
As GDT Pulse matures, its ability to offer shorter, more frequent auctions could become an essential risk management tool — not just a sales channel. Arla’s entry strengthens that potential.
