Bo Albertus, a school principal in Denmark, finds the Spanish raisins he now snacks on less tasty than his favorite Sun-Maid ones from California. There is no perfect substitute for Heinz tomato soup, a staple in his pantry. And he misses Pepsi Max.
BuBo Albertus, a school principal in Denmark, finds the Spanish raisins he now snacks on less tasty than his favorite Sun-Maid ones from California. There is no perfect substitute for Heinz tomato soup, a staple in his pantry. And he misses Pepsi Max.
But as long as President Trump pursues policies that Mr. Albertus, 57, believes put Europe’s economy and security at risk, he will boycott these and other U.S. products. He is one of a growing number of Europeans, Canadians and others who are forgoing American goods to show their anguish and dismay at Mr. Trump’s treatment of longtime allies.t as long as President Trump pursues policies that Mr. Albertus, 57, believes put Europe’s economy and security at risk, he will boycott these and other U.S. products. He is one of a growing number of Europeans, Canadians and others who are forgoing American goods to show their anguish and dismay at Mr. Trump’s treatment of longtime allies.
It seems like last year I was reading articles about how many countries are not allowing US products/goods in because of the chemicals and additives that cause all kinds of health problems. Not sure if this is just a NYT hit piece where they are ignoring the real problems with our food like the Monsanto Roundup issue food colors hormone disruptors carcinogens in most everything. Meanwhile most of the world has banned this chemical and our popular food products…doc
This is especially true in the EU and these countries have restricted certain U.S. imports for decades due to differences in safety regulations, particularly regarding food, chemicals, and consumer goods. Some key milestones include:
1960s-1970s: The European Economic Community (EEC) began implementing stricter food safety and agricultural policies, sometimes limiting imports that didn’t meet these standards.
1981: The EU banned the use of certain antibiotics in livestock feed, diverging from U.S. practices.
1989: The EU banned beef treated with growth hormones, a policy that led to a trade dispute with the U.S. This ban remains in place today.
2000s: The EU adopted the Precautionary Principle, which restricts chemicals in food and consumer products unless proven safe, contrasting with the U.S. approach, which often allows substances unless proven harmful.
2007: The EU implemented REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals), a far stricter chemical safety regulation than U.S. policies.
2010s-Present: The EU has tightened restrictions on pesticides (such as neonicotinoids), genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and food additives, further limiting U.S. agricultural and chemical exports.
Sure, and it’s obviously a one-way street. It’s not as though the US restricts imports from Europe or elsewhere because of our own laws and safety concerns. Except possible for:
Absinthe (Alcohol)
Alcoholic Beverages
Automobiles
Biological Materials
Ceramic Tableware
Cultural Artifacts and Cultural Property
Defense Articles or Items with Military or Proliferation Applications
There are two different issues here. One is that the EU and US have different food safety standards, and so some US products cannot be sold in the EU at all. This has been a thorny trade issue for years.
The other issue is that some European consumers are choosing not to buy US products at all. We’ve seen this in other areas, for example Tesla sales are plummeting in Europe, Canadian tourists are avoiding Hawaii and other US destinations, etc.