In a parting shot for the Bush Administration, the office of the U.S. Trade Representative tripled the tariff on imported Roquefort cheese last Friday. This action was in retaliation for the European Union's decision not to allow importation of American beef treated with hormones. The timeline is a little sketchy to me -- the EU ban was first put in place in 1989 and subsequently struck down by the World Trade Organization in 1998 as being inconsistent with WTO rules requiring that such bans be supported by scientific findings. Later in 2003, the WTO agreed with the EU that the science did support the ban. At any rate, it's not really clear to me why the change in duties now.Reactions from the French -- government, cheese producers, and common citizens alike -- were predictably outraged. The stiff duties pretty much bring an end to the profitability of importing Roquefort to the U.S. But since the U.S. market only accounts for 2 percent of Roquefort sales worldwide, the outrage seems to be mostly symbolic and just another nail in George Bush's coffin. As for American lovers of the bleu -- you'll just have to settle for Maytag, Saga Blue, or Stilton.
6 comments:
alas... i will just have to enjoy my danish blue in the meantime.
Actually, I usually buy the Saga Blue anyway. it will probably be awhile before most markets run out of their supply of Roquefort and by that time, Mr. Obama may have rescinded the ban (among many other things Bush has screwed up).
Hopefully the EU will not budge on hormone beef.thanks but no thanks !
ever. (
Hopefully Frankenstein food (GMO) will be as controversial and therefore banned in all european countries very soon but minions within the EU wil make sure that won't happen.
Oh well ...
Why only Roquefort? Seems a little mean to single out one French cheese when there are so many (as Charles de Gaulle asked, "How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?"). Or maybe Bush is a Brie fan?
Good question. Those who love all the gory little details of trade policy can peruse the full list at http://www.ustr.gov/assets/Document_Library/Federal_Register_Notices/2009/January/asset_upload_file64_15289.pdf. There's all kinds of fun stuff on this list like "Grains of oats, hulled, pearled, clipped, sliced, kibbled or otherwise worked, but not rolled or flaked" and "Meat and edible offal of chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and guineas, salted, in brine, dried or smoked; flour and meal of these animals." Gluttons for punishment can wait for the full explanation in an upcoming issue of the Federal Register. Any trade policy wonks out there, feel free to weigh in.
Maytag Blue will more than suffice as a substitute. Indeed, many would argue it is the best blue veined cheese around.
Maybe that's why they chose this single cheese to encumber. Its one for which there is substitute unlike so many other types of French cheese which have no satisfactory American counterpart.
Post a Comment