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KFC Shuts Fiji Stores in Battle Over Ingredients

Matt Cantor — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 18:02:35 CDT

KFC has closed all three of its stores in Fiji after a fight over ingredients it needs for its secret coating, reports the BBC . The chicken chain says the military government hasn't let it import milk, herbs, and eggs since late last year. "The missing ingredients led to a decline...

Obama: Cut Imported Oil by 1/3 by 2020

Polly Davis Doig — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 07:48:00 CDT

President Obama will put energy policy in the crosshairs today, calling for the United States to cut the 9.7 million barrels it imports each day by a third by 2020. But even given the precarious energy situations in the Middle East and Japan, notes the Washington Post, the president...

Obama Slaps Stiff Tariff on Chinese Tires

Rob Quinn — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 06:01:34 CDT

President Obama has imposed tough new tariffs on the import of Chinese-made tires, the Wall Street Journal reports. The 35% import tariff comes in response to industry complaints that Chinese-made tires are flooding the US, jeopardizing thousands of jobs. China attacked the decision, saying it violated trade rules, and threatened...

Toilet Paper Shortage Gives Cuba a Pain in the . . .

Harry Kimball — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:36:02 CDT

Cuba is battling a toilet paper shortage, the Miami Herald reports. The country says the global financial crisis and recent hurricanes have forced it to shutter factories and cut down on electricity usage. The result: The cost of a four-pack of TP in Havana is the equivalent of 2 days'...

Big Food Battles Big Sugar to Cut Import Prices

Rob Quinn — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 01:21:39 CDT

America could "virtually run out of sugar" if more cheap foreign imports aren't allowed in, some of the nation's biggest food companies warned Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack in a recent letter. The firms—which pay around twice the world market price for sugar because of tariffs to protect sugar-beet farmers...

Virus-Wary Egypt to Destroy All 300K Pigs

Harry Kimball — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 09:16:57 CDT

The Egyptian government says it will immediately slaughter the country’s entire population of 300,000 pigs to protect against the swine flu, the AP reports. Egypt has stressed that it has no reported cases of the virus, though two infections have been confirmed in neighboring Israel. The move comes as...

Skirting Laws, Iran Buys Bomb Parts From US Firms

Matt Cantor — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 08:43:04 CST

Through front firms and complex maneuvering, Iran skirts trading laws to buy bomb parts from US companies, the Washington Post reports. The equipment allows production of improvised explosive devices, or IEDS, bombs that are the leading killer of US troops in Iraq, according to Justice Department documents and a new...

Mexico Halts Shipments From Top US Meat Plants

Nick McMaster — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 17:10:02 CST

Mexico has temporarily banned meat from 30 US plants run by some of the largest American meat companies, Reuters reports. The Mexican government says violations in standards of packaging, labeling, and transport conditions occasioned the ban, but many US analysts suspect Mexico is registering its dissatisfaction with an American law...

GM Sales Off 45% as US Auto Sales Hit 25-Year Low

Rob Quinn — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 22:43:15 CST

US auto sales dived in October to levels not seen since 1983, Bloomberg reports. GM, Ford, and Chrysler saw sales drop 45%, 30%, and 36% respectively as credit dried up and consumer confidence plummeted. Toyota, Honda, and Nissan all saw sales fall over 20%, but managed to gain market share...