A blend of Canadian and Argentine honey

[wolfstu]

So…
I’ve noticed that most of the honey I see in stores is labeled:
“Canada No. 1 Blanc/White”

Then, it sneakily has a footnote somwhere else on the tub that reads:
“A blend of Canadian and Argentine honey”.

What I’m wondering is, if it’s cheaper to ship loads of honey up from Argentina, why buy expensive Canadian honey to mix it with? Is the whole point so they can get low-cost South American honey, but still use the 'Canada No. 1" Label? Or is there something special about Argentine honey?

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

http://www.cnn.com/2000/FOOD/news/08/08/honey.blues.ap/

U.S. honey producers say Argentine, Chinese imports hurt domestic prices
August 8, 2000
Web posted at: 8:58 AM EDT (1258 GMT)

PIERRE, South Dakota (AP) – Cheap honey from Argentina and China is causing financial disaster for the U.S. honey industry, according to the American Honey Producers Association.

Richard Adee of Bruce, South Dakota, the group’s national president, says beekeepers are struggling to stay in business at the prices they get for honey. The average price was 93 cents a pound in 1997 but fell to 65 cents in 1998 and 60 cents last year, he says.

Import quotas and pricing requirements on Chinese honey expired August 2, Adee says. The sanctions were won after the U.S. industry complained five years ago of being undercut by honey from China.

A new complaint with the International Trade Commission will be filed against China by October 1, Adee says. And he says Argentina will be added to the complaint because it also is dumping honey on the U.S. market at low prices.

http://www.beesource.com/news/article/tariff.htm

Honey producers use bees to protest tariff levied by U.S.

BUENOS AIRES - Hundreds of honey producers in beekeeper suits sprayed smoke canisters and waved banners Tuesday outside Government House, protesting a hefty new U.S. tariff on Argentine honey imports.

American producers have complained the subsidies allow Argentine honey to sell in the U.S. at much lower prices, harming local competitors.

Argentina’s government contends the money it gives to honey producers is a tax refund.

Items compiled from Tribune news services.
5-22-01

http://www.e-campo.com/media/news/weekly-ag-report/english05_24.htm

24-May-01

Argentine honey producers react to U.S. decision

Argentine honey producers publicly protested, asking for their government’s support in a situation they consider unfair. The loss of the American market may be a death certificate for this growing activity.

< snip >

The US consumes over 50% of the local production of honey. Last May 10, American commercial authorities officially informed the rise in tariffs for the importation of Argentine honey products, from 4.4% to 50-60%, temporarily, considering the legal case among both countries, for presumable dumping actions and subsidy protection, has not finalized.

Representatives of the Argentine Federation of Apicultural Cooperatives (Facap) sustained that this measure represents the “closure of the main market of exportation for our honey”, a situation that will have drastic consequences for almost 45,000 Argentine apicultural producers.

Whereas Canadian honey is covered by NAFTA. So my guess is going to be that it’s actually just the opposite–the Argentine honey is more expensive, so they mix it with cheaper Canadian honey.

As to why they’re buying more expensive Argentine honey, no clue, unless it’s because they’ve still got contracts with Argentine honey producers. Or maybe you just have to take your honey where you can find it, and juggle the numbers enough until you’re making a profit.

What’s the brand name of the honey? Is it an American brand? You’re in D.C.?

[wolfstu]

Your evidence seems to indicate that Argentine honey would be cheaper than Canadian.

The brands are:
“No Name” / “Sans Nom” (Made in Canada for Sunfresh Limited, Toronto and Montreal.)
and
“Super C” (Prepared for Briska Inc, Montreal and Ottawa)

The cities named are from the address on the package.

I believe both of these brands are Canadian, though like most everything else they could be owned by some giant American mega-corp. I’m buying this honey in Canada.

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

Well, yeah, unless Canada had slapped a tariff on Argentine honey, I’d guess Argentine honey might be cheaper in Canada. I assumed D of C meant Washington D.C. and that it was U.S. honey.

So maybe the label is some sort of fiddle to get around the Argentine honey tariff in selling it in the U.S. Maybe if it’s part-Canadian, it doesn’t count and so is exempt from the tariff. Geez, I dunno. << massive shrug >>

But I didn’t turn up anything on Google under “argentine honey” that suggested it was special in some way, other than the hits from Argentine honey producers complaining about the new tariff.