20 years ago, the United States threatened harsh sanctions against Europe for refusing to import beef with hormones. In response, French small farmer José Bové denounced “corporate criminals” and destroyed a McDonalds. He became a celebrity and thousands attended his trial in support

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  1. **The Beef with Hormones War**

    Europe refused to import beef with hormones such as estradiol, teratogen, stilbenes, progesterone, trenbolone, and zeranol. These growth hormones were deemed perfectly safe by american food safety regulators.

    In response, US meat companies and the US Government argued american regulators are reliable, because America is a democracy with rule of law and a free press. Thus, Europeans were actually engaging in hidden protectionism against american products.

    In 2002, the European Scientific Committee doubled down on the ban:

    https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_02_604

    The conflict degenerated into a major trade war with mutual accusations of dishonesty, bans on French Cheese, tariffs, and threats of economic sanctions.

    In 2008, the United States took Europe to court.

    The World Trade Organization condemned Europe, saying Europeans had no right to refuse this product because they are breaching free-trade agreements.

    https://www.france24.com/en/20081017-wto-rules-against-europe-beef-dispute-

    The war finally ended in 2012.

    A truce was signed, with the European Parliament agreeing to import more american beef, but without hormones:

    https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20120314IPR40752/win-win-ending-to-the-hormone-beef-trade-war

    ___

    To this day, beef with hormones remains an issue of trade tensions, even between friendly countries. Canada says the United Kingdom is practicing unacceptable discrimination by refusing beef with hormones:

    https://www.independent.co.uk/politics/hormones-beef-brexit-trade-cptpp-b2010031.html

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cptpp-uk-beef-access-1.6797340

    https://www.politico.eu/article/canada-uk-wins-out-of-pacific-trade/

  5. WTF???

    I didn’t know that the US were so assholes with us.

    Do they thought that were were imbeciles or do not care about our health?

  7. major W for this frenchie. its first time i have heard about this, europeans showing some backbone made me smile, i must say.

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