may be another's barrier. But do animal and food safety concerns also serve as a means for keeping out competitive products?<
IN BRAZIL, A SO-CALLED CRAZY COW IS PARADED IN front of the Canadian embassy to protest trade actions against Brazilian beef. In Europe, boatloads of animal feed that may contain genetically-engineered soy or corn are routinely targeted by activists. Foot-and-mouth disease devastates all British exports. And in Australia, Canadian salmon may be sold only after an international spat.
If nothing else, disputes over the safety of food and international commerce prove the old adage that one country's scientific standard is another's non-tariff trade barrier. And they are nothing new. During the late 19th century, a host of international trade disputes emerged along very similar lines.