The “Chicken War”: The Current Situation Regarding Tariffs on US Poultry Products
Rebeca Leiva The United States and the European Union have had a history regarding tariffs on chicken poultry products. This conflict, most commonly known as the "Chicken War", began in 1962 with a dispute between the U.S. and the Common Market (compromising France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) when those European nations raised the tariff placed on chicken poultry products. This protectionist policy aimed to support domestic producers and, in the long run, reach a place where there is reduced dependency on U.S. poultry imports by fostering self-sufficiency among European member states. By the beginning of 1963, U.S. poultry exports had sharply declined. Consequently, the American poultry industry was not content and was afraid of protectionist policies in Europe's agriculture sector. The U.S. claimed to have lost $46 million with the imposed European tariffs. The amount was soon revealed to be $26 million, which President Lyndon B. Johns...