The European Union is under pressure to strike a trade deal with Trump, but an influx of mass-produced, low-quality food must be off the table.
I grew up on American food. Trust me, it’s the last thing Europe needs | Alexander Hurst
Deal? There are no deals to be made. Trump doesn't honor any deal, including his own. He is bound by no court, or rule of law. No congressional checks and balances. They are bad faith actors. There is nothing to negotiate.
The FDA has been gutted. The food is even less safe than it used to be.
American food, like their diplomacy is a nightmare. Don't do it.
Fuck that shit. American food is gross
Under pressure from who?
Rich assholes with way too much influence and by extension people who would get fired by said assholes if profits dip for a microsecond.
Trump, who else
Under pressure for what?
It has already been stated that the import of food items, in detriment of the higher EU food standards, will not be negotiable.
Two simple examples: chicken and beef.
For beef, it would be as simple as stop pumping cattle with steroids and attest the origin of the animal, two things american rancher are unwilling and often unable to do. Argentina and Brasil sell meat to the EU. Isn't the US as capable?
Stop washing chicken with chemicals (likewise, eggs), treat the animals properly, with good sanitary conditions, no steroids, and it will be fine.
But the real issue is that the EU already produces enough beef and chicken indoors. And meat consumption has been in a sharp decline. No one will buy what they don't.
Besides these two, it would make a difference if the US stopped using artificial food colorings, with proven bad effects on health.
There are more issues.
Isn’t the US as capable?
From what I've heard they wouldn't be completely uncompetitive the issue is they don't bother to do the necessary tracking: The US government introduced a domestic scheme to label GMO and hormone-free beef but their customers don't care so the industry doesn't care so noone participates so they don't have the certs to export to the EU.
So, they're lazy.
Don't. Our food is kind of shitty.
I actively avoid any and all US products, including food. I hope others do as well. So long as we keep origin attestations, I am not sure they will sell as much as expected.
I guess since we don’t know what deal will be made here we can’t really say how effective it would be for just end-consumers to reject items at grocery stores. Judging by the tone (as always with this US administration) it sounds like a deal would include forcing the EU to purchase certain amounts of food. I.e. we would pay for it even though no one actively selects the US brand products in stores
I mean, they could allow it, it would overwhelmingly sit on shelves until it spoils.
Not if it's cheaper than European food. There will always be people who need to save money and cheap US rubbish would be very welcome to them. They wouldn't know about the effects on their body for decades - probably they wouldn't even suspect US food. Just look at what US fast-food is doing to the continent.
Europe is in danger if allows more cheap US crap in to the market.
And then the rest of society has to pay for the healthcare. Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy to subsidize or completely pay for the healthcare of those less fortunate than me via taxation, but that necessarily has to be combined with a protectionist attitude towards food standards to keep costs manageable.
It doesn't spoil. Bacteria and fungus know it's not food. Americans aren't that smart.
Not if part of the agreement is to ban country of origin labeling
So it'd spoil in 2030 at the earliest?
No matter what kind of trade deals the EU signs with the US, I feel strongly that the EU should work to divest away from fossil fuels as aggressively as possible. Do Europeans really want to be funding far-right extremism in Russia and America or do you want clean solar and wind energy?
Fossil fuels are the primary reason we continue to be in this mess.
I’m 100% certain the rise of the extreme right is fuelled by the oil and gas industry. Hell, the extreme political islam has been pushed by Saudi Arabia for decades. We’ve been paying for our own downfall.
Right, it's not just American and Russia that are bad, it's the extremists in the middle east too! That's why I say buying fossil fuels from another country isn't the answer, electrification and green energy must be the way forward.
we have far-right extremism at home
True, but far-right extremism is interconnected globally. Funny that people like Alex Jones talk about international conspiracies when the only real one is the way in which the far-right is coordinated and operate in lockstep. For example Trump has people from Hungary advising him and Trump and Republicans receive a lot of support from Russia. Musk endorsed the AfD and Reform UK. You stop one far-right party in your country or another country and you're helping the fight against the global far-right which will help stop far-right parties in other countries.
fuck trump and any trade deal with that orange piece of shit. no one wants your american shit
As an American, I'd prefer you guys not prop up the Trump regime. I was hoping Europe and the rest of the world could find your own way and let us suffer the consequences of our stupidity so that maybe we might learn something.
If I were Europe, I would give Trump the same treatment I give Jehovah's Witnesses. Close the door and walk away.
Sure yeah, sign a deal and find out. If you’re a true european you’ll be checking labels: Made in USA? trash, don’t buy. Deal around and find out.
Problem is preprocessed ingredients making their way here and then being "made in Europe" by just mixing the final product together or maybe even just putting it in the final packaging.
You also won't know if restaurants use cheaper US ingredients.