Raid on Imported Honey By Homeland Security

Brian D. Bray · January 01, 2009, 03:07:01 AM

This is worth reading. A raid on illegally imported Chinese honey right here in Washington state.
It gives a little insight to just how big a problem it really is. Gives the term "Chinese Laundry" a whole new meaning.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/394053_honey30.asp

tlynn · January 01, 2009, 07:17:45 AM

Great article. I'd make reprints and use as a marketing tool for our honey.

I can't remember the last time I read about something good coming out of China. Poisoned pet food, poisoned milk. I read somewhere that by 2015 in the US we will import 30% of our food from there. How scary is that? I saw garlic at a store recently, marked from China and asked the produce manager why they were getting garlic from China. It's cheaper than garlic grown in the US he said. Imagine that...produce from thousands of miles away is cheaper than what we can grow here. If this is globalization I am going to expand my garden! Another reason to support local farmers' markets and your organic food stores.

Maybe we'll be soon looking for a "grown in the USA sticker!"

BjornBee · January 01, 2009, 09:29:49 AM

I can not get the site to come up..... :?

buzzbee · January 01, 2009, 09:52:42 AM

The link is fixed :)

BjornBee · January 01, 2009, 09:57:38 AM

Good article buzz. But it must be a different one as it really said nothing about a raid on Chinese honey.

Ok, got the other one. Thank you.

Buzz,
Can you put that other link back up? I would like to print it out and have lost it. Thank you.

Greg Peck · January 01, 2009, 11:55:24 AM

Bjorn The story you wanted might be one of these http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/honey/

BjornBee · January 01, 2009, 11:59:05 AM

Quote from: Greg Peck on January 01, 2009, 11:55:24 AM
Bjorn The story you wanted might be one of these http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/honey/

Thank you Greg.
Yes, it's the one "Experts call for better U.S. standards".

JP · January 01, 2009, 01:12:14 PM

Thanks for posting the article Brian. On a brighter note, I have a chinese customer that buys my honey by the gallon. She likes the real stuff. She claims she needs the real stuff for good health and I want her to be healthy of course!

I should get some labels to put on her containers that say "made in USA"

...JP

manfre · January 01, 2009, 01:26:17 PM

The need for foreign honey could be removed in under 5 years by simply blocking all honey imports. The price of honey in the US would rise and give the incentive for more beeks to take the step from hobbyist to commercial. Supply would go up and prices would drop. Probably not to the current levels, but at least it would be untainted, undiluted honey in the containers.

JP · January 01, 2009, 01:29:45 PM

Quote from: manfre on January 01, 2009, 01:26:17 PM
The need for foreign honey could be removed in under 5 years by simply blocking all honey imports. The price of honey in the US would rise and give the incentive for more beeks to take the step from hobbyist to commercial. Supply would go up and prices would drop. Probably not to the current levels, but at least it would be untainted, undiluted honey in the containers.

Well, we would like to hope so anyway.

...JP

Shawn · January 01, 2009, 02:39:28 PM

Great article. Thanks for posting!

BjornBee · January 01, 2009, 02:46:23 PM

Quote from: JP on January 01, 2009, 01:29:45 PM
Quote from: manfre on January 01, 2009, 01:26:17 PM
The need for foreign honey could be removed in under 5 years by simply blocking all honey imports. The price of honey in the US would rise and give the incentive for more beeks to take the step from hobbyist to commercial. Supply would go up and prices would drop. Probably not to the current levels, but at least it would be untainted, undiluted honey in the containers.

Well, we would like to hope so anyway.

...JP

If one would only knew the truth, you would think twice about buying honey from that next farm stand you run across while driving down that country lane........ :shock:

KONASDAD · January 01, 2009, 02:51:58 PM

This is a great article and it was already posted in article section as well. Its importanta and belongs in general section.
I sent link to all of my customers as a marketing tool. I really like the fact that Sue-Bee is caught up in this as they are every where.

Big John · January 01, 2009, 05:36:06 PM

Another good reason to make country of origin labels mandatory on ALL products!

BjornBee · January 01, 2009, 05:45:55 PM

I've often wondered about trying to be "domestic" for year. Something to see if one could just buy nothing but american products, and keep a record of one's problems. I used to see "Buy American" bumper stickers, but it seemed they were just marketing for "Buy Union" which meant "Buy Crap!"

Anymore, it seems "buy American" or buy local, beyond food products on small scale, is not even seen. A real shame. But I guess it's all global now for most things. Steel workers want all steel to be American made. And I suppose it's the same with clothing, honey, and anything else. Each group looks at their own small market, but think nothing of those markets outside their own profession or product thay are involved with. Price is still king for most things with most people. Reading the fine print, even if the country of origin was mentioned, would mean little to most.

tlynn · January 01, 2009, 09:34:34 PM

Quote from: BjornBee on January 01, 2009, 05:45:55 PM
Anymore, it seems "buy American" or buy local, beyond food products on small scale, is not even seen. A real shame. But I guess it's all global now for most things. Steel workers want all steel to be American made. And I suppose it's the same with clothing, honey, and anything else. Each group looks at their own small market, but think nothing of those markets outside their own profession or product thay are involved with. Price is still king for most things with most people. Reading the fine print, even if the country of origin was mentioned, would mean little to most.

I agree for the most part. We choose our food based on whether or not it's organic, and price is irrelevant. That's non-negotiable. For most everything else, availability is the key factor and probably price. I would generally be willing to pay pay more for an equal American made product, but they just aren't available. I do remember buying these nice US made wood clamps for like twice the money of some Chinese made clamps, but that's a rare exception. Go to Home Depot and see all the "Workforce" brand items everywhere and all made in China. How far do I have to search to find any consumer electronic product that isn't made in China, or even more remotely, is made in the US? Try finding something made in the US in that good old patriotic American company, WalMart. I walked around in a WalMArt one day looking for something made in the US and the only 2 things I found besides foods were American flags and a stationary set. And I wouldn't be surprised if the flag fabric was made in Pakistan! Now that I think of it, most of their rifles, shotguns and ammo probably would be US made, but I didn't look through those.

China has been buying our bonds we've been selling to keep our economy propped up so we can continue to have the money to keep buying all that crap they can keep making that's bulging from the shelves. What a crazy, unsustainable cycle! I think it's all changing. 2009 is going to be an interesting year.

Forgive me...getting a bit off topic :-)

Kathyp · January 01, 2009, 10:09:57 PM

QuoteThe need for foreign honey could be removed in under 5 years by simply blocking all honey imports. The price of honey in the US would rise and give the incentive for more beeks to take the step from hobbyist to commercial. Supply would go up and prices would drop. Probably not to the current levels, but at least it would be untainted, undiluted honey in the containers.

nice idea, but then you have to get around regulations, labor costs, etc. that keep us prices high. the cost of us labor is one of the things that prices us out of markets. here, our min. wage just went up again today. now 2nd highest in the us behind washington.

other thing that happens is that you get retaliatory tariffs or blocking of our exports. that keeps us from getting things we need and want., and from selling our products overseas.
remember when countries quit importing our beef? how about if they skip washigtons apple crops next year, or oregons hay sales?

when i was young, made in japan or made in korea meant cheap crap. they adjusted their markets to fit our demands and now produce things of better quality than the us does, and for a better price. even if the price is not better, for example their cars, the quality is.

the answer if for the us to be competitive, not protectionist.

manfre · January 01, 2009, 11:31:41 PM

Quote from: kathyp on January 01, 2009, 10:09:57 PM
QuoteThe need for foreign honey could be removed in under 5 years by simply blocking all honey imports. The price of honey in the US would rise and give the incentive for more beeks to take the step from hobbyist to commercial. Supply would go up and prices would drop. Probably not to the current levels, but at least it would be untainted, undiluted honey in the containers.

nice idea, but then you have to get around regulations, labor costs, etc. that keep us prices high. the cost of us labor is one of the things that prices us out of markets. here, our min. wage just went up again today. now 2nd highest in the us behind washington.

other thing that happens is that you get retaliatory tariffs or blocking of our exports. that keeps us from getting things we need and want., and from selling our products overseas.
remember when countries quit importing our beef? how about if they skip washigtons apple crops next year, or oregons hay sales?

when i was young, made in japan or made in korea meant cheap crap. they adjusted their markets to fit our demands and now produce things of better quality than the us does, and for a better price. even if the price is not better, for example their cars, the quality is.

the answer if for the us to be competitive, not protectionist.

I agree that competition is important, but unregulated competition is not. We essentially have unregulated competition because of our inability to properly inspect the volume of imports. Instead of blocking imports, a better option would be to provide enough staff and equipment to Customs, but I don't think that will ever happen.

Kathyp · January 01, 2009, 11:34:53 PM

Quotea better option would be to provide enough staff and equipment to Customs

sure, and to inspect every toy, container, and bit of mail that comes through. we could have spent TSA money to put more customs people in, but instead created another government black hole of inefficiency.

rdy-b · January 01, 2009, 11:49:09 PM

Quote from: BjornBee on January 01, 2009, 02:46:23 PM
Quote from: JP on January 01, 2009, 01:29:45 PM
Quote from: manfre on January 01, 2009, 01:26:17 PM
The need for foreign honey could be removed in under 5 years by simply blocking all honey imports. The price of honey in the US would rise and give the incentive for more beeks to take the step from hobbyist to commercial. Supply would go up and prices would drop. Probably not to the current levels, but at least it would be untainted, undiluted honey in the containers.

Well, we would like to hope so anyway.

...JP

If one would only knew the truth, you would think twice about buying honey from that next farm stand you run across while driving down that country lane........ :shock:

what would that be -its all good down my country lane 8-)-thanks for the warning 8-) RDY-B