Every now and then, a unique set of circumstances arises that leads a government to embrace free trade unilaterally, if only for a particular product. The Economist reports on the impact of a dramatic rise in cabbage prices:
Normally, Koreans serve home-grown kimchi as a matter of honour. But people are now looking abroad for their fix, sparking a debate about the suitability or otherwise of different countries’ cabbages. Many Koreans think Chinese-grown agricultural produce is unsafe, but they are having to swallow their pride about that. President Lee Myung-bak says he will be getting his personal stash from Western producers, earning him comparisons to Marie-Antoinette from South Korea’s numerous and critical bloggers. His administration has announced the temporary lifting of tariffs on imported cabbages, in advance of the traditional kimjang season, in which kimchi is prepared for the winter.
