nitelite33
Chillin' like a villain
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2003
- Posts
- 1,280
Americans Snub French Cheese Exporter, Who Shrugs
PARIS (Reuters) - A Frenchman who sells cheese over the Internet has seen his inbox fill up with e-mails from disgruntled Americans this week.
They are more than happy with his Camembert, but not with his government's policy on Iraq.
"Pam and I have enjoyed ordering from you in the past," read one e-mail to fromages.com co-founder Marc Refabert. "(But) because of the current position your government is taking on not supporting the U.S. at this time regarding Iraq, we are not going to support France in any way. ... We are sorry."
Orders are slipping from the key U.S. market, which accounts for 80 percent of fromages.com's business. But just as the French government is unmoved by U.S. criticism of its unwillingness to back war against Iraq, so Refabert is shrugging off the boycott.
"It's their way of showing their patriotism. Good for them," he said. "We've decided not to reply to the e-mails. What good would it do? I'm not a politician. ... But you've got to be adult. I don't think it's a very well thought-through reaction."
Refabert said he thinks American customers won't be able to maintain the boycott for too long because French cheese tastes too good.
"It's just temporary. They'll come back in two or three months."
PARIS (Reuters) - A Frenchman who sells cheese over the Internet has seen his inbox fill up with e-mails from disgruntled Americans this week.
They are more than happy with his Camembert, but not with his government's policy on Iraq.
"Pam and I have enjoyed ordering from you in the past," read one e-mail to fromages.com co-founder Marc Refabert. "(But) because of the current position your government is taking on not supporting the U.S. at this time regarding Iraq, we are not going to support France in any way. ... We are sorry."
Orders are slipping from the key U.S. market, which accounts for 80 percent of fromages.com's business. But just as the French government is unmoved by U.S. criticism of its unwillingness to back war against Iraq, so Refabert is shrugging off the boycott.
"It's their way of showing their patriotism. Good for them," he said. "We've decided not to reply to the e-mails. What good would it do? I'm not a politician. ... But you've got to be adult. I don't think it's a very well thought-through reaction."
Refabert said he thinks American customers won't be able to maintain the boycott for too long because French cheese tastes too good.
"It's just temporary. They'll come back in two or three months."
