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Rock‐​a‐​Bye Trade Restrictions on Baby Formula
CATO Institute ^ | May 10, 2022 | Gabriella Beaumont‐​Smith

Posted on 05/12/2022 11:42:55 AM PDT by Texas Fossil

Over the last few months, a U.S. baby formula producer issued recalls both voluntarily and required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These recalls are rocking the U.S. baby formula market leaving parents facing higher prices and bare shelves. Stores like Walgreens, CVS Health, and Target are limiting the number of formula products per purchase because of low inventory—just last month, national out‐​of‐​stock levels reached 40 percent!

One reason retailers are struggling to recover stock levels is the multifarious trade restrictions that limit infant formula imports. The United States subjects infant formula to tariffs up to 17.5 percent and tariff‐​rate quotas (TRQs); for TRQs some level imported are subject to a tariff with the excess subject to a tariff and additional duties. A few trading partners receive “special” duty rates where some infant formula imports are duty‐​free or receive lower tariffs and TRQs. Mexico is one of the few U.S. trading partners that has some duty‐​free access for infant formula, and uncoincidentally, is the top trading partner for U.S. formula imports. Though, in comparison to total imports from Mexico (worth almost $400 billion), formula imports are extremely low.

Figure 1 illustrates how little baby formula the United States imports compared to its estimated domestic consumption. While it may not seem bad (and is even encouraged by many nowadays) that the U.S. does not import much baby formula, it is important to understand why the United States is not importing baby formula—amidst the current scarcity, the inability to import is detrimental as parents are left with few to no options.

(Excerpt) Read more at cato.org ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: baby; babyformula; biden; formula; shortage
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Background on history of import/export of baby formula.

We import almost no formula from neighboring countries.

1 posted on 05/12/2022 11:42:55 AM PDT by Texas Fossil
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To: Texas Fossil
When forty percent of baby formula production in the USA is offline, no wonder we're having major shortages. 😒😑🙄
2 posted on 05/12/2022 11:44:55 AM PDT by RayChuang88 (FairTax: America's Economic Cure)
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To: Texas Fossil

Getriddadabum?


3 posted on 05/12/2022 11:47:44 AM PDT by HighSierra5 (The only way you know a commie is lying is when they open their pieholes.)
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To: Texas Fossil

Trump’s fault!


4 posted on 05/12/2022 11:49:42 AM PDT by Seruzawa ("The Political left is the Garden of Eden of incompetence" - Marx the Smarter (Groucho))
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To: Texas Fossil

I vaguely remember researching this when one of my kids was being born. Isn’t this because we insist on all kinds of horrific crap like HCFS in ours and Europe and other places don’t have that? I remember comparing ingredients to European formula and being unhappy with ours.


5 posted on 05/12/2022 11:49:44 AM PDT by perfect_rovian_storm
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To: RayChuang88

Yep, and the report I read said the shortage is the worst in “red” (conservative states).

Would the #ComDem’s intentionally punish their political enemies? Does a bear crap in the woods?


The baby formula shortage looks to be intentional (May 11, 2022)
https://www.floppingaces.net/2022/05/11/the-baby-formula-shortage-looks-to-be-intentional/
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FR Comments: https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/4062353/posts


6 posted on 05/12/2022 11:49:52 AM PDT by Texas Fossil ((Texas is not where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind & Attitude!))
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To: RayChuang88

Don’t forget the recalled a bunch of product from that factory as well.


7 posted on 05/12/2022 11:50:38 AM PDT by Little Ray (Civilization runs on a narrow margin. What sustains it is not magic, but hard work. )
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To: perfect_rovian_storm

More Government is not the Solution, It is the Problem.


8 posted on 05/12/2022 11:51:22 AM PDT by Texas Fossil ((Texas is not where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind & Attitude!))
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To: HighSierra5

Biden says babies should learn to code.


9 posted on 05/12/2022 11:52:04 AM PDT by Tell It Right (1st Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
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To: Texas Fossil

Kindhearted Bill Gates invested in some sort of laboratory made baby formula a few years back. Maybe he will get emergency authorization now.


10 posted on 05/12/2022 11:54:21 AM PDT by Karl Spooner
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To: RayChuang88

Yep.
Regardless of the reason, we should not be providing ONE SINGLE CAN of formula to illegals. They should not be held long enough to need it. If these people knew their kids would go hungry, they wouldn’t be bringing them across the border.


11 posted on 05/12/2022 11:59:25 AM PDT by ChildOfThe60s ( If you can remember the 60s.....you weren't really there..)
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To: perfect_rovian_storm

HFCS is not required by the FDA, here is an organic formula:

https://www.naturesone.com/babys-only-organic-dairy-dha-formula/

If a company wants to import medicines, medical devices, foods, etc. they have to be subject to audit by the FDA. Just like American companies are subjected to audits by foreign notified bodies.

If there is some sort of import tariff that is something entirely different.


12 posted on 05/12/2022 12:02:37 PM PDT by packagingguy
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To: Little Ray

Here in Sacramento, CA, all the drug store chains (CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreen) are putting severe restrictions on baby formula sales.


13 posted on 05/12/2022 12:04:31 PM PDT by RayChuang88 (FairTax: America's Economic Cure)
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To: Texas Fossil

Well, we wouldn’t have to import much baby formula if our government weren’t shipping it off to Ukraine and the CATO Institute’s blessed border folks.


14 posted on 05/12/2022 12:05:42 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Florida: America's new free zone.)
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To: Karl Spooner

From Twitter

Samantha @Samanth48487861 9h(ago)
Don’t give your babies the artificial breast milk that Bill Gates paid for, just don’t.

https://twitter.com/Samanth48487861/status/1524687776343597056


15 posted on 05/12/2022 12:08:18 PM PDT by Texas Fossil ((Texas is not where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind & Attitude!))
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

CATO has a long history of advocating global trade above all other considerations and opposing economic nationalism. China will be pleased.


16 posted on 05/12/2022 12:10:30 PM PDT by Pelham (World War III is entering on cat's feet.)
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To: packagingguy

Good to know.

Definitely no HFCS, but I still don’t find the ingredients in this anything to brag about. Just different kinds of unhealthy vs others. The European formula regulations seem to be focused on making it as nutritionally close to breast milk as possible.


17 posted on 05/12/2022 12:12:25 PM PDT by perfect_rovian_storm
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To: Texas Fossil

I think I was fed cow’s milk.


18 posted on 05/12/2022 12:16:41 PM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: Texas Fossil

A few decades back, baby formula was something sold to Third World moms to financially ‘milk’ them.


19 posted on 05/12/2022 12:19:03 PM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: rockabyebaby

Is this you? (JK)


20 posted on 05/12/2022 12:40:31 PM PDT by dynachrome (I have the eye of a tiger, the heart of a lion, and a lifetime ban from the zoo)
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