Tariffs

If you've been preparing to mourn the loss of Roquefort cheese, we've got good news for you: Yesterday, the United States struck a deal with the European Union, agreeing to drop its proposed tariff on Roquefort cheese, and products like Spanish ham and Italian mineral water.

The stink over taxes first began 10 years ago with a European Union ban on hormone-treated American beef, yet over the last few months, the controversy has heated back up. Before leaving office, President Bush proposed a 300 percent tariff on the pungent blue cheese from France. But when the tax was postponed, it appeared that the two countries were trying to work out a compromise. Although insiders are calling this a "first step" toward resolution, it doesn't completely address the problem at hand, and there are still many other measures that need to be taken. The agreement has to be approved by a number of officials from European Union countries. While the USDA maintains that hormone-fed beef is safe to eat, the EU still believes hormones could create health risks such as cancer.

The beef issue will continue to be a contentious one, but it's great news for Roquefort fanatics like myself. I can't wait to celebrate with a hunk of the creamy, pungent blue cheese! Will you do the same? Where do you stand on the beef issue?

Source

For months now the US and France have been engaged in a stinky war over taxes on Roquefort, the pungent blue cheese from the south of France. The 300 percent import duty, which President George W. Bush enacted right before he left office, was scheduled to take effect March 23. But in the riff over Roquefort, might Presidents Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy be able to smooth things over? Federal trade agency officials, hoping to strike middle ground with France, have postponed the tariff; it is now scheduled to take effect April 23. A duty on the cheese was first proposed in 1999 in response to a European Union ban on hormone-treated American beef. Said agency spokesperson Nefeterius McPherson: "The Obama administration is continuing the long-standing US policy of trying to reach a negotiated settlement that offers real benefits to the US beef industry."

France has also continued to lobby for the cheese in the States, since a tax would have drastic consequences on the availability of Roquefort. Martin Malvy, president of the cheese's home region, even sent President Obama a special package of the blue cheese for his inauguration. The delay shows hope that the two nations may find middle ground. Are you taking this as a good sign, or do you think the trade on this famed, blue-veined cheese is destined to crumble?

Source

France and the United States are engaged in another food war, and this time it's not over fries. The French government was infuriated by the legacy that President George W. Bush implemented right before leaving office: enacting a colossal tax on France's prized Roquefort cheese. While he imposed a 100 percent import duty on many products from the European Union, the former US President singled out the pungent blue cheese for a 300 percent tariff. As a result, Americans will soon be unable to buy Roquefort. In a letter to newly inaugurated President Barack Obama, French parliament member Philippe Folliot called for the removal of the steep duty. If the high tariff doesn't change, he said, there may be unfortunate consequences. "Symbol versus symbol," he said. "Since the United States has decided to surtax one of the most ancient (cheese) appellations, I think that the French government, with the European Union, must think about a heavy specific tax on imports of Coca-Cola concentrates produced in the US."

I hope Obama reconsiders the tax on Roquefort, so the US and France can return to more diplomatic times. Americans can still enjoy their Roquefort and the French can drink all the Coke they want.

What do you think — does it seem fair for France to tax the US in retaliation for a large tariff on Roquefort?

Source