Bush War on Roquefort Raises a Stink in France – washingtonpost.com — Let me summarize. We have a cattle industry pumping up animals with hormones and anti-biotics and all sorts of things not allowed in the EU where they have some respect for the food supply. The EU bans our beef. So we screw over the farmers who make this delicious and specialized cheese. Pathetic. Of course now the French are thinking of dropping a huge tariff on Coca-Cola.
In its final days, the Bush administration imposed a 300 percent duty on Roquefort, in effect closing off the U.S. market. Americans, it declared, will no longer get to taste the creamy concoction that, in its authentic, most glorious form, comes with an odor of wet sheep and veins of blue mold that go perfectly with rye bread and coarse red wine.
The measure, announced Jan. 13 by U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab as she headed out the door, was designed as retaliation for a European Union ban on imports of U.S. beef containing hormones.
I wonder if a certain entrepreneur who runs a spice shop also sells cheese on the side?
Hmmmm?
I thought tariffs were against International Trade Agreements? Outlawing products because of localized health standards is usually allowed.
I like blue cheese. They had a good brand at Costco that is no longer sold. Nice quick easy meal to put out a cheese plate, crackers, pate, wine.
Good livin.
If anything will ruin this economic recovery effort, it’s nationalism. It needs to be a global effort, Exclusionary polices always bites you on the ass.
I luv Roquefort… I throw my cheesy sneaker at W.
btw…Argentine Roquefort is excellent too….sorry France.
I like a little stinky on my pinky, as much as any other foodie does, Roquefort crumbled on Pumpernickel, Stilton on a Palmers, Gorgonzola on buttery hot toast, Gamelost on greasy smoked fish. Gobbed down, not nibbled, with their regional wines and lagers. What’s a picnic without blue cheese? – might as well go to MacDonalds.
“I thought tariffs were against International Trade Agreements? Outlawing products because of localized health standards is usually allowed.”
Indeed, it’s a convenient escape clause. The EU, at the behest of the powerful French farming lobby, blocks food imports from Africa for the very same reason. It keeps European food prices artificially high and prevents African farmers from exporting to their markets. Hence the “frankenfood” hysteria they ginned up to scare consumers. It’s naked protectionism.
This is small potatoes compared to the trade war Barry and Nancy are cooking up, though. Go to the Economist and read about the “buy American” requirements in Barry and Nancy’s “stimulus” package.
Blue cheese sure varies in taste. I still remember some that was just the best.
More for me!
The human race is utterly and irreversibly degenerate.
The sooner we nuke ourselves out of existence… the better.
#10, but who would then enjoy all the delicious cheese?
#7, Absolutely. Obama can reverse this in a matter of moments.
Oh, we need to reverse this immediately! Think of the French children not having their Coca-Cola!
What will those evil Frenchies do next, ban McDonalds! Oh, the humanity!
Monty Python?
J/?
#12 John Paradox
Pysch! I was thinking exactly same thing. I was torn between the French Taunting on the Holy Grail and the Cheese Shop Sketch.
#10, you could take preemptive action by killing yourself now. After your comment it only seems reasonable, since you hate yourself so much.
On a serious note. This entire mini trade war has less to do with health and safety (on both sides), than with protectionism.
I like the cheese better than Bush.
2
“I thought tariffs were against International Trade Agreements? Outlawing products because of localized health standards is usually allowed.”
Oh my God, I LOLOLOLOLOLOLd so hard at that. You ever hear of the softwood lumber debate? Or, say, the ENTIRE WORLD protesting the massive subsidies the US gives to it’s own farmers? There is NOT ONE international agreement the US will follow as long as their own interests are at stake.
“I like blue cheese. They had a good brand at Costco that is no longer sold. Nice quick easy meal to put out a cheese plate, crackers, pate, wine.”
Please.. Do NOT compare a blue cheese from Costco to an AOC cheese from France… In fact, the FIRST CHEESE EVER to receive the prestigious AOC denomination in that wonderful country. Just don’t.
4,
It may be blue cheese, but it’s not, nor will it ever be, Roquefort.
6,
The EU bans all GM food… full stop. The US keeps trying to force them to take Monsanto GM frankenseeds and they refuse every time. And its a GOOD THING.
Seems to me that keeping polluted food out of your country is a good thing, protectionism or not.
They didn’t ban the cheese, they just passed a higher tax. Read the article. All this means is a higher tax rate and more money for the government.
#18 You’re kidding, right?
#17
Cheese is polluted by definition. Microbes+milk=Cheese. Please be more specific.
Now can we get some props for the Limburger(pit style), if you like stinky get down to it.
This tariff punishes Americans more than it punishes the French. The gov’t is doing me no favor by reducing my choice.
An opinion from France…
First, about Blue Cheese/Roquefort: Roquefort cheeses (there are several) amount only for a small part of all French “Blue Cheeses”, they’re simply the blue Cheeses that come from the town of Roquefort. They are the most renowned, but you can prefer other very fine French Blue cheeses, like Bleu d’Auvergne,…
From what I’ve read, the part of the Roquefort production exported to the US amounts to about 30% of the production. So these tariffs do have an impact on the Roquefort economy. Now, Roquefort is a high-end produce, and they’ll find a replacement for the US market. Now, Americans will certainly have more difficulty finding Roquefort in their groceries, event after this stupid tariff war.
Now about the tariff war:
The EU ban on GM food might help protect the local production, but it’s really not its main goal: public opinion is strongly against GM food, much more than its govt’s, in fact. Experimental GM fields are destroyed by protesters,…
Now about the US beef containing hormones, it might be more controversial. European opinion, however, is once again strongly against these practices. From what I’ve read , the problem is not only that of adding hormones or not to beef. It’s a problem of traceability. We could accept hormone-fed beef, if it were clearly sold as such. And then, it would never be accepted in most public restaurants( schools, hospitals…). Now, yes, it certainly helps protect the local European market. But I really think it’s just a side effect of the measure.
And why couldn’t the Americans produce healthy, hormone-free beef ? That would be better for everyone… But for that, you’d need to change the American public opinion.
And the poor Roquefort producers have nothing to do with this war. Why not just leave them alone?
#22
Food for thought.
Thank you.
As #22 pointed out, it’s not about protectionism or nationalism from the European viewpoint. Here in Sweden most beef come from, Sweden, Ireland or South America (Brazil, Argentine or Uruguay).
It’s also worth to note that the envirionmental impact of transporting the meat by containership from South America to Sweden is less than impact caused by keeping cattle warm indoors during the Swedish winters.
#6–I thought tariffs were illegal and when imposed the offending country could be sued in the World Court for massive damages. I read cases a few years ago about farming subsidies where that was the fact.
Allowing something into the country with 400% tax added is not making it illegal to import because of health concerns although I recognize that can be a dodge, it can also be legitimate==but it is not a tariff.
So, I “assume” if we are putting on a tariff that we are allowed to do it???
I think tariffs on food to protect home markets is a good thing. Costco sells 2 other types of blue cheese that I don’t like so I’m buying elsewhere now. If it tastes good, I don’t care what its called and I don’t get off on the snob appeal of names.
Because “some” tariffs can be bad doesn’t mean all of them are and the deeper question will always be good and bad for whom? and Short term vs long terms effects of what is deemed good and bad.
Bush has lost his control over the oil market.
Now his only source for income is beef. .. Those Frenchies don’t want my beef, well they can shove their stinky cheese. ..
You can get pretty good blue cheeses from many parts of the world, even Wisconsin. But then a wine and cheese snob who buys using price as their criteria for quality, might not like them.
#22, zeb,
Good summary.
“The EU ban on GM food might help protect the local production, but it’s really not its main goal: public opinion is strongly against GM food, much more than its govt’s, in fact. Experimental GM fields are destroyed by protesters,…”
These people are not just criminals, but total idiots. I place them on the same level as the jerks who refuse to have their children vaccinated.
28,
Do you know anything about the lengths monsanto goes to destroy farmers that DON’T use their crops?
Why should the public be forced to buy GM if they don’t WANT it. In Europe, the people own the government… in the US, the corps own the government. Just imagine what would happen if the US government was of the people, for the people.
28,
Oh, and you’re equating not wanting GM and hormone beef to vaccinations… specious at best, complete idiocy more likely.
#30–named==what is the idiocy equation you negate here? In my view, complaints about GM or vaccination are emotionally driven and contradicted by science.
I think hormones is much more debatable and open and therefore much more open to individual choice==meaning in general it should be allowed but labeled==and in most cases with the labeling killing the product unless it was much cheaper than the alternatives?
But whats your beef specifically?