There will be no avoiding trade issues for long, even if President-Elect Obama wanted to, as they will apparently play a role in the inauguration:
Barack Obama has a pungent and politically charged inauguration gift coming his way from France.
The head of a region in the Pyrenees known for its Roquefort cheese, Martin Malvy, said Friday he had sent the U.S. president-elect a 2-kilogram (4.5-pound) "package of prestige" of the odorous fromage to mark his ascension to office next week.
Along with the cheese was a letter lamenting the U.S. announcement Thursday of new sanctions on European foods, including a tripling of the duties for Roquefort imported into the U.S. The American move was the latest volley in a larger, 13-year-old trade fight between the European Union and the U.S. over beef treated with hormones.
