Half of my readership always writes to me complaining that I spend too much time on product quality disputes. “Why so many posts on contaminated toothpaste and toxic dog food? Stick to the sexy trade stories, like anti-dumping.”

The other half says that anti-dumping and WTO disputes are too technical and boring. “Find some fun stories, like people getting violently ill after eating poisonous imported food.”

I think I have found the answer to all your problems:

A Chinese executive has pleaded guilty in a plot to smuggle adulterated honey into the United States, one of two criminal cases on the subject filed this year.

Boa Zhong Zhang, vice president of Changge Jixiang Bee Products Ltd. in Henan Province, China, pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle to conspiracy to smuggle goods into the country by using false statements and to introducing adulterated foods into interstate commerce.

Zhang, who worked at the company for 30 years, faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced Nov. 30.

Still facing charges in the case is Chung Po Liu, 68, of Bellevue, owner of Rainier Cascade and Evergreen Produce.

Both were charged with arranging to ship $1.6 million worth of honey to Thailand and the Philippines and relabel it as originating in those countries to avoid paying $3.3 million in U.S. punitive antidumping tariffs on honey from China. (AP)

These guys were caught when the honey in question was found to contain a high concentration of a certain antibiotic. I know folks here in China like to ingest huge quantities of antibiotics, but do we really need to pump the stuff into our honey as well?

God knows what will happen when super-duper, antibiotic-resistant bee bacteria jump the cross-species fence and start attacking humans.

I for one am going to be proactive by: cutting loose all my beekeeper friends, keeping at least 200 meters away from any and all apiaries, and throwing away all my honey and honey mustard salad dressing (will keep away bears as well as bees).

I guess these trade cases are rather exciting after all.