More Reasons Not to Like China

::clears throat, taps microphone in preparation of PSA::

China is refusing to pay import "dumping" tariffs which it is required to pay for exporting agricultural goods from China into the United States. For every $5.00 that US Customs collects, China owes yet another $15.00 to the United States. The purpose of this tariff is to inflate the price of Chinese grown and produced agricultural goods so that the American farmers and producers can compete with the overall cheaper product that China produces. Customs says it can do nothing about China's refusal to pay until Congress enacts legislation enabling them to do so. Congress says "they're working on it"... Aren't they always? But until they get it worked out, US producers of these goods are loosing money at a staggering rate.

Most especially effected are honey producers, who have seen the price of honey fall from $1.50 per pound to $0.80 per pound in a very short amount of time. China is using Walmart-esque tactics, lowing the price of honey so much that they put their American competition out of business. The US producers are paying their workers $9.00+ an hour and their profits have hurt severely for it. So please, do *not* buy honey that is *not* labeled that it was produced in the United States. If it's not labeled that, more likely than anything it comes from China. China is stealing from America and does *not* need your help! The same problem is happening for American mushroom growers and crawfish farmers, although nothing has dropped as drastically as honey prices.

Chinese imports have also dropped the prices on other agricultural goods in the US though, not just honey, mushrooms and crayfish, so please read your labels on all fresh food, meat and seafood to make sure that your money is going to American workers and only buy good that are produced in the United States.

Thank you... ::stepping off my soap box::