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The US has recently decided to punish french producers of Roquefort cheese in retaliation for the EU´s continuing (13 year old) objection to importing American beef treated with certain “unsafe hormones.” As a US citizen I am OUTRAGED by my government’s  attempts to force-feed hormone-jacked-up-beef to consumers who don´t want it. Sure the EU’s objection to certain hormones used in the US might not be driven by entirely benevolent health-related concerns (protectionism?!), but if farms in Europe can meet higher standards, why can’t farms in the US?

“In these circumstances, I have decided it is time to modify the duties to try to encourage a resolution of this longstanding dispute so as finally to provide a fair outcome to the US beef industry, while addressing the economic impact of such long-standing duties on US interests,” a US Trade Rep said after the US trippled the import duties levied on Roquefort cheese.

Can’t we get beyond old school retaliatory trade policy aimed at protecting certain industries at home at the expense of better products from abroad? Can’t we spare the moldy cheese producers at the very least?

I´ll have my steak without hormones, please.

More Reading: Washington Post article from January 29th titled Bush War on Roquefort Raises a Stink in France