Reuters | U.S.-Sino trade relations got even stickier Wednesday
after a senator accused China of “honey laundering” — mislabeling its
honey to avoid U.S. anti-dumping duties.
Senator Charles Schumer told the U.S.-China Economic and Security
Review Commission, a watchdog panel created by Congress, that China was
avoiding U.S. anti-dumping laws imposed years ago by shipping honey
through countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia.
“We call it honey laundering,” said Schumer, who frequently accuses China of manipulating its currency and other unfair trade practices. “Instead of simply selling their product in a fair and competitive way, the Chinese are using illegal, backdoor deliveries and mislabeling their product.”
The practice deprives the United States of some $100 million to $200 million in duties and threatens the commercial viability of the U.S. bee population, which is needed to pollinate many crops, he said.
In a letter Wednesday, Schumer urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to act on a 4-year-old industry request to establish a “federal pure honey standard.”
That would promote truth in labeling and give U.S. authorities a basis for enforcement action against importers of mislabeled or adulterated honey, he said.
Anyone really want to eat ANYTHING from china? The whole country is a EPA Superfund clean up site.
While they’re at it, someone should push for olive oil ‘truth-in-labeling’ laws. Almost NONE of the oil labeled ‘Italian’ is produced solely in Italy.
Most “Italian” olive oil actually comes from Spain or elsewhere, then is blended with a small amount of Italian-produced oil, then sold as ‘Italian Olive Oil.’