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Fuss over flowers sows EU complaint

September 12, 2012  

Norway’s decision to suddenly impose a 72 percent import duty on flowers known as hortensia (hydrangea) has, as warned, led to Denmark filing a complaint with authorities in the European Union (EU). Bendt Bendtsen, a former Danish government minister who’s now a member of the EU Parliament, wants the European Commission to address Norwegian protectionism.

Bendtsen and other Danish and European officials are provoked by the new import tariffs aimed at keeping cheaper foreign products out of the Norwegian market. Newspaper Dagens Næringsliv (DN) reported that Bendtsen has referred Norway’s new customs duty as “abuse” of the tariff system, and asks whether the EU agrees that Norway “wants and gets access to the European market for its own products, for example salmon, while they unpunished are allowed to block (European imports) … by juggling tariffs and classification rules.”

Denmark’s trade minister has threatened to respond to the new hydrangea tariff, and demands for higher tariffs in on products like meat and cheese, by slapping higher import duties on Nowegian salmon and oil.

Views and News staff




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  • http://profiles.google.com/kiwi.robbie Robert Cumming

    I’d love to other countries putting punitive tariffs on Norwegian goods, with a bit of luck that would see a reverse of current protectionist polices, especially on foodstuffs.

  • http://www.facebook.com/dmitry.shaporenkov Dmitry Shaporenkov

    I guess 99% of food exports from Norway is fish, and it’s exported to distant countries (China, Russia etc) which are not affected by import tariffs in Norway, so such a measure would hardly be efficient

  • Andy AUS

    I agree Robert.