Moses2013

Depends on the product. Champagne is the region in France, so the following counts:
Champagne wine is protected by an european regulation called Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). This european law protects the names of local products made in Europe. Otherwise call it sparkling wine.

Beaverstate

Coke is a product of Atlanta Call it sparkling tooth rotter.

amideislas

Products labeled "Champagne" produced outside the region of Champagne cannot be sold in Europe. The same is true for "Parmesan". The name alone qualifies both to be at the top of the price ladder in their class, regardless of whether the actual product is of decent quality. There are hundreds of awful champagnes, but they're all significantly more expensive than a better product under a different name, as anyone who's bought a €20 bottle of unheard-of-brand "champagne" at Lidl is probably aware.

But we have other products not so-named that rival those protected products.

For example, "Grana Padano" is the main competitor to Parmesan. It's about 1/3 the price, but IMO is every bit as good as "authentic" Parmesan. I understand it outsells Parmesan by about 100:1. So much for the benefits of protectionism.

For Moses: You missed the point.

I was speaking about imports. None of those "American" products are imports. They are all produced in Europe, by European-registered producers. If they were produced in the US, the import tariffs would render them too expensive for the consumer. Just as is almost anything produced in the US. And that helps explain why we have so few US products on our shelves. It would compete with European producers. And the European translation of "competition" is a four-letter word.

Moses2013

Of course I get it. Tax reasons can be one reason, but each company has different ways and strategies. You can also buy German beer brands in the US, that are brewed in the US. If the product is in demand, then it makes sense to produce elsewhere. Imagine if they had to ship every can of the famous Coke to Europe.

WEBlue

What about joining the Democrats?

Ann Richards was in the governor's office when our family lived in TX, and she did a pretty good job of it too, from what I remember--reforming the TX prison system (which was in dire need of it) & beefing up the auto insurance regs. IIRC, she strongly opposed a proposed concealed weapon carry law.... which was later signed into law by her successor, G.W. Bush.

amideislas

No disagreement, and I'd add that BMWs are produced in the US, too. But that's a practical matter, as you point out. (but they also aren't forced to pay $34/hr for labour, and guarantee employment in the US either).

However, the difference, as you illustrate, is that you can actually buy European-produced products in the US at similar pricing to what we pay in Europe. The reverse isn't true.

One illustration of that was on the last trip I took to Illinois. A rural area near the Mississippi - near the Iowa border. I happened to step into a small supermarket in this little town and was shocked to find virtually every major label of European wines and liquors on the shelves - Spanish, French, Italian, German... Prices very similar to what we pay here. In fact, almost every supermarket I visited exhibited a similar selection.

You'd NEVER find that selection of California, Oregon or any other American wines here. And even if you could, they'd be outrageously expensive, even for the cheapest mass-produced budget wines like Gallo that sell for a couple dollars in the US.

Equally, American liquors are at least 30% more expensive here than similar European brands, or compared to what you pay in the US.

They are all IMPORTS. And that's the point.

Moses2013

There are a lot of points to consider and it's also down to marketing. Prices are different in each country, so a European brand might have a different marketing strategy in the US because of competition, purchase power etc. Where you are there might be no demand for wine from California and it's also down to the shop selling. If the shop keeper knows that only a few people want to buy the product, he'll only order a few bottles and sell at a higher price. I've found huge selections of wine from California in Germany and a lot cheaper than the US (also down to lower alcohol taxes).

Pulaski

If it says "Imported" on the label there is a good chance it was imported, ..... from Canada. There is a brewery near Toronto that brews beers from the UK, Europe, Australia, and even Japan, solely so that it can be sold as "imported" beer in the US. Heineken is imported from the Netherlands, and Pilsner Urquell is still, I believe, imported from the Czech Republic despite being owned by SAB Miller.

OnwardandUpward

Been there WEBlue, I kind of don't blame the democrats for their issues here, since they are unlikely to get into office any time soon, and most people feel it's a wasted vote. I could not in good conscience vote Republican in TX so I voted Libertarian last time- even though I don't think they are really going to be able to manage any better. But I did come to the conclusion there is nothing to vote for here- let alone get more involved.

I'm not joining a party of gay-bashers. I've no strong feelings on the topic morally but once you go down that route of persecuting a segment of the society, for no good reason. I mean I can understand some prejudices- yes a lot of people don't like Islam right now, with good reason though of course it means the wrong people get targeted.

I think the stereotypes are generally the wrong targets. Little old Asian lady has to be strip-searched at the airport to make life p/c...governments need to be realistic not just idealistic.

And that's the thing about Texas- the government does function well except for healthcare.

We had a hurricane here in 2008- one of the worst storms in US history-I lost power for 6 days. The roads were cleared in two. The whole state was back with power in the longest a month. We had major forest fires in 2011. People lost their homes and within a couple of days local charities and churches replaced what people needed.

Texas is an anomaly- it's the most functional place in most ways, it's just this political belief that healthcare is optional and a personal choice- which of course it is- until you get sick!

And of course anyone who has been ill and not covered understands how horrendous it is, and people who are covered, ie the majority, just can't seem to wrap their heads around it.

amideislas

Well, There's also those import duties.

But I reckon the US is more consumer-choice-driven than protectionist-driven. The yanks don't fear competition like the Europeans do, and I'm much more inclined to believe that has a lot more to do with those stark differences.

Anyway, it's nice to hear that you're all enjoying your life in the US - for a change. In many ways, I envy you all. Although I admit I'd miss Spanish culture and the old-world architecture. I often joke that if my home were in the US, they'd kick me out, put a fence around it and sell tickets (my house is older than the US - but that's not unusual here).

Cheers

Moses2013

Many examples. Pilsner Urquell was actually brewed in Poland for a while but now comes from the Czech Republic again, you're right.
Becks beer (from Bremen Germany) sold in the US is produced in St Louis and there are so many more examples.

OnwardandUpward

'Anyway, it's nice to hear that you're all enjoying your life in the US - for a change. In many ways, I envy you all. Although I admit I'd miss Spanish culture and the old-world architecture. '

@amideislas architecture is about the only thing I miss here- there's pretty much nothing older than 100 years.

But I have been getting into Texas history, it's fascinating when you start looking at places like Indianola once one of the largest ports in the US- nothing there now, wiped out by natural disasters.

Mallory

My husband and I were driving in the Rhones-Alpes area of France last July, way out in the country. We came to a cross-roads, and we saw a police car parked. Two gendarmes walked out into the road and flagged us down. They spoke very little English, and we speak very little French. They wanted to see my husband's driving license, and also the paperwork for the rented car.

I don't think I've been stopped at a police road block in the US for over 25 years. We were quite stunned to be randomly stopped by the police. They were very nice and polite, just as they are in the US.

SultanOfSwing

I've never been randomly stopped for the police in the US. Not once. I've been pulled over for apparently transgressing the draconian speed limits they insist on enforcing on non-surface roads, but never a random stop or vehicle check.

Used to happen all the time in NI though, for obvious reasons. At certain times of year, on certain strategic roads, you'd encounter police road blocks, where they'd check your license and ask what you were doing etc. It was just part of life there, and I was quite happy to comply if it kept the 'RA out of my town

YouWantFriesWithThat

Karma on its way!

I usually try and do the same.

In fact, we also carry (not sure what the proper name for them is) a pair of long handle grabbers in the back of our car for moving snakes off the road. Have to be careful if it's a rattler, though.

In the part of Virginia I live in snakes are often see as the devil incarnate anmd many people drive over them on purpose.