Meat-ing out justice
The U.S. Department of Agriculture keeps finding new and creative ways to undermine NAFTA when it comes to Mexican agricultural exports. The latest ploy has been to require a “country of origin” certificate on meat (even when the cow you’re eating was a legal immigrant). On the other hand, the U.S. insists on flooding Mexican markets with indirectly subsidized (by was of corporate tax breaks for the producers and export credits) beef.
You think those issues might be related to this item (from Reuters):
CHICAGO, Dec 26 (Reuters) – The U.S. meat plants barred by Mexico from shipping meat there are some of the largest in the country and owned by leading U.S. meat companies, including Cargill Inc, Tyson Foods Inc (TSN.N), JBS (JBSS3.SA), Seaboard (SEB.A) and Smithfield Foods (SFD.N), according to a list on USDA’s website on Friday.
The list of the affected plants can be found here
A reason was not listed for the suspensions but meat industry sources said Mexico may be retaliating for the U.S. country of origin labeling law that went into effect earlier this year.
In another import issue likely to lead to retaliatory measures, “chocolates” (older model used cars from the United States) can again be imported, causing auto dealers to call for protectionist measures. While I’m about as pure as the driven slush when it comes to importing chocolates (without going into details, I disposed of a clapped out old Volvo irregularly), the Mexican auto dealers aren’t going to be the only ones complaining … expect the greenies and the Mexico City government to push for new restrictions.
My take on it: Auto regulations — or rather, dropping them — was sold as a consumer issue by the conservatives and free-trader in PAN. I get the sense that — like the U.S. Republicans who threaten to fight proposed job creation measures because it will benefit their political rivals, PAN will fight for this one, because improving the health and safety of Mexico City residents benefits the leftists. Stupid, but that’s politics.
mexfiles.net 
This time last year I was shocked, in San Luis Pososi, that so many “good” restaurants were serving beef from the United States, grain-fed beef much inferior in quality to Mexican meat. It was the same in Zacatecas. I think the US has been dumping beef in Mexico for some time and I hope the Mexican government can put a stop to it.