| Camembert conflict |
Posted on 02/14/2003 9:51:54 AM PST by Dog Gone
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Businessmen are anxiously scanning their sales charts to see if US consumers decide to bring the rift over Iraq to the marketplace.
Not surprisingly, French internet cheese seller Marc Refabert, has become one of the first targets of angry American patriots.
Disgruntled
His in-box has filled up with e-mails from disgruntled US customers saying his cheese may be fine, but the diplomacy of his president, Jacques Chirac, smells.
"Because of the current position your government is taking on not supporting the US at this time regarding Iraq, we are not going to support France in any way," read one e-mail to the co-founder of www.fromages.com.
At least one US restaurateur has stopped selling French wine and champagne althogether.
New Yorker Enzo Lentini said he was angered by newspaper reports that France would not take part in a Nato plan to protect Turkey in the event of a war in Iraq.
"The Turkish people had asked for help in case of war, they are part of the alliance, but the French refused and I think that is really rude," said Mr Lentini, 37, general manager of Lentini Restaurant.
French products
Mr Lentini said he had also removed German wines from sale in his restaurant, and other traditional French products could soon be in the firing line.
Anton Boerner, head of the BGA wholesale and foreign trade association who gave the warning, said he did not expect a full-fledged boycott.
"But there are signs within both the Democrat and Republic parties that they are thinking about 'punishing' German and French products," he said.
"There won't be a call for a boycott but sales people are nervous and nervousness is bad for business.
"Business is better among friends," Mr Boerner said.
Danger
German companies say they have seen no dramatic impact yet.
"Our business in the United States continues to develop very positively," said Eckard Wannieck, spokesman for carmaker BMW.
Directors at French drinks group Pernod Ricard, the world's third biggest spirits company, also said that they did not think their products were in danger of a US consumer boycott.
But Camembert is, however, unmistakeably French.
And businesses fear that a snub of French cheese and fine wine will extend into the wider marketplace.
Their 5 year cheddar is to die for!
boycott them because of their racist support University of Michigan we hate whitey quotas.
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