US SNUB FRENCH CHEESE

Sky News ^ | February 14, 2003

[Dog Gone]

Camembert conflict

Concerns are growing that French and German exports to the United States will be boycotted due to the transatlantic diplomatic stand-off over Iraq.

Businessmen are anxiously scanning their sales charts to see if US consumers decide to bring the rift over Iraq to the marketplace.

Not surprisingly, French internet cheese seller Marc Refabert, has become one of the first targets of angry American patriots.

Disgruntled

His in-box has filled up with e-mails from disgruntled US customers saying his cheese may be fine, but the diplomacy of his president, Jacques Chirac, smells.

"Because of the current position your government is taking on not supporting the US at this time regarding Iraq, we are not going to support France in any way," read one e-mail to the co-founder of www.fromages.com.

At least one US restaurateur has stopped selling French wine and champagne althogether.

New Yorker Enzo Lentini said he was angered by newspaper reports that France would not take part in a Nato plan to protect Turkey in the event of a war in Iraq.

"The Turkish people had asked for help in case of war, they are part of the alliance, but the French refused and I think that is really rude," said Mr Lentini, 37, general manager of Lentini Restaurant.

French products

Mr Lentini said he had also removed German wines from sale in his restaurant, and other traditional French products could soon be in the firing line.

Anton Boerner, head of the BGA wholesale and foreign trade association who gave the warning, said he did not expect a full-fledged boycott.

"But there are signs within both the Democrat and Republic parties that they are thinking about 'punishing' German and French products," he said.

"There won't be a call for a boycott but sales people are nervous and nervousness is bad for business.

"Business is better among friends," Mr Boerner said.

Danger

German companies say they have seen no dramatic impact yet.

"Our business in the United States continues to develop very positively," said Eckard Wannieck, spokesman for carmaker BMW.

Directors at French drinks group Pernod Ricard, the world's third biggest spirits company, also said that they did not think their products were in danger of a US consumer boycott.

But Camembert is, however, unmistakeably French.

And businesses fear that a snub of French cheese and fine wine will extend into the wider marketplace.

[SirAllen]

Boycott bump.

[lawnguy]

Let there be no doubt about this American. I will never purchase any product, any service, or travel to one destination that in anyway benefits Germany or France until a formal apology is delivered from the Presidents of each. I will also never lift a finger to help any Democrat who has chosen to side with these ingrates against the United States. The list is long and growing by the minute :(

[biblewonk]

Since France makes so few products worth buying, we need to boycott products from countries that buy from France.

[Wright is right!]

There are many excellent cheeses one may enjoy without spending a nickel on products of France.

I'm very partial to the following:

Dutch Gouda and Edam, particularly the smoked varieties
English Stilton
Greek Feta
Danish Havarti
Danish Blue
Italian Gorgonzola and Provolone
Jalapeno Monterry Jack (American) and Habanero Jack
Wisconsin Extry-Sharp (extra-sharp for you Northerners) Cheddar
Double-cream Brie made in the US
Indian Panir

And I'm sure you could come up with your own list rather quickly.

Michael

[GunsareOK]

I hate cheese even more than I hate the Frogs and the Krauts for their recent behavior.

[Hodar]

You forgot

Velveeta
Velveeta Lite
Cheese-Whiz

(Flame suit on) :-D

[visualops]

There is domestic Brie I believe. I'm not sure about Camembert.
But, I hope people don't boycott BMW, because some of them are made here in upstate SC. BMW is a big part of the local economy.

[gov_bean_ counter]

The summer of 1976 I traveled with my family to London then Paris. Shortly after arriving in Paris I developed a migraine. Was going to try and get something to eat and work through it.

Ordering from a French menu. Ok, cheese looks harmless enough. Didn't realize it was goat's cheese. Couldn't get the stuff past my nose.

Interesting that as the week progressed, I found that the cheese smell was the least offensive odor I would encounter while there.

[T Minus Four]

[hisfriend]

Boycott Bump

[thetruckster]

"But Camembert is, however, unmistakeably French."

And anything they do, we can do better. And I don't care that Nancy Reagan served only French wines in the White House (except for a couple from Sterling Vineyards in California--California???).

[bert]

for your list...

Construction Companies: Dumez and Co......terrible folks

Services: Bureau Veritas NA, international inspection services with offices in Miami and Houston.

[Rollee]

I heard from a friend that her co-worker was taking his mother on a trip to Paris. Air France called him yesterday to tell him they were cancelled his tickets. When he asked why, the AF agent told them that everyone else on that flight had cancelled their tickets, except for his mother and him. How about that for a boycott!

[Think free or die]

"Air France called him yesterday to tell him they were cancelled his tickets."

I hope it's really the boycott, but I wouldn't put money on it. Air France cancelled the flight my mother and I had booked from Philadelphia to Prague last year on very short notice. They said the plane had been re-assigned in Europe. We assumed that meant that passenger volume was unprofitable. A flight wouldn't have to be down to 2 passengers for them to cancel it. They were entirely unsympathetic to the inconvenience they caused us, which was considerable. Never again.

[Desdemona]

I have discovered domestic Brie. It's not Saint Andre, but it works.

Other than wine, what else do the French make?

[Rollee]

That is typical of the french - condescending jerks. I bet Nancy Botox just looooooooves the french. She has the same attitude.

[Rollee]

I posted too quickly. I have a question: How much foreign aid do we the people give to jerks like france, germany, mexico, brussells, the axis of weasels?

[desertcry]

The french, and the germans have not yet heard, or know about TIME LAG. The bigger the market the longer the time lag, and the USA market is the biggest of all. Let's see what the Frogs and the Krauts will say about their exports to America in a few months from now.

[desertcry]

SC Labor Unions should strike the BMW plant. This will hit the krauts bottom line.