Tag: import/export
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Paul Voosen, “Trade Chaos Looms as GM Crops Proliferate,” Greenwire, November 2, 2009
The third in a five-part series about genetically modified (GM) crops, this article focuses on the frustrations of importers and exporters over stringent European rules about even trace amounts of GM material in conventional crops. Apparently, European regulators have stopped more than 10 soybean or soy meal shipments from the United States this year because…
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Chinese Honey Maker Pleads Guilty in Conspiracy to Illegally Smuggle Goods
U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has brought conspiracy charges against the president of a honey manufacturer from China in an alleged scheme to illegally dump adulterated honey on the U.S. market, and recently announced that the defendant pleaded guilty. The product was apparently shipped through the Philippines and Thailand between 2005 and 2008 to avoid steep…
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Pine Nuts Reportedly Leave Some People with “Pine Mouth” Aftertaste
Pine nuts imported from China have reportedly left some Americans with a bitter, metallic aftertaste, prompting the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate the claims. According to a news source, FDA has received about two dozen complaints of “pine mouth” in recent months, but no illnesses have been reported. “Should the FDA find a…
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EU Rebuffs United States in WTO Poultry Dispute
The European Union has reportedly blocked a U.S. request that the World Trade Organization (WTO) settle a dispute over a ban on American poultry imports. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative apparently asked for the ruling after industry groups criticized the scientific evidence behind an EU regulation prohibiting the pathogen-reduction treatments used in U.S.…
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GAO Identifies Collaboration and Enforcement Gaps in Imported Food Safety System
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a report prepared in response to congressional inquiries about the current system for ensuring the safety of imported foods. Titled “Agencies Need to Address Gaps in Enforcement and Collaboration to Enhance Safety of Imported Food,” the report focuses on Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Food and Drug…
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U.S. Poultry Industry Asks WTO to Examine European Ban on Antimicrobials
The National Chicken Council and several other industry groups have signed a letter to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, requesting the initiation of a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement panel to re-establish poultry exports to Europe. According to the letter, the European Union prohibits four antimicrobials commonly applied in the United States…
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United States and Canada Reach Agreement on Organic Equivalency
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have agreed to recognize each other’s organic certifications. As of June 30, 2009, Canada will have national organic standards in place that have been determined to be the equivalent of U.S. National Organic Program requirements. Thus, products meeting U.S. standards can be sold…
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Importers of Melamine-Tainted Wheat Gluten to Plead Guilty
According to a news source, a Las Vegas-based company and its co-owners have agreed to plead guilty to charges that they imported from China melamine-tainted wheat gluten used to make the pet food that purportedly sickened and killed thousands of cats and dogs in the United States and Canada in 2007. More details about the…