My Personal Import/Export Biz
May 9, 2008 by Jean Mercedes
Filed under Business
Chris pointed out last week that May is World Trade Month.
As an American ex-pat in Germany, I have schlepped so many things back and forth between two continents that it sometimes feels like I am running my own private import/export business. Sure, I take advantage of exchange rates wherever I can (why buy an iPod for 129 Euros when you can get it for 129 USD?) but there are also a lot of products I like which are only available in one market. Here are some of my current faves:
SmartWool Socks
Mostly available at US camping stores, these are the best/most comfortable socks. Once you put them on, you never want to take them off. Until they start showing up in Munich, I will continue to buy in the US and bring them over for friends in Europe. Or maybe I should open a shop in ebay and sell them myself?
Cheerios
Many American classics have long since arrived in European supermarkets: maple syrup, marshmallows, peanut butter, bagels, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, all types of Kellogg’s cereals. I can even buy Betty Crocker cake mix. But Cheerios didn’t make the cut. Why did a product manager decide to sell Corn Flakes in Europe but not Cheerios? Both are equally bland. Is flaky better than round? Care to join me in a campaign to take Cheerios global?
Scotch tape
It’s sad but true: German engineers cannot come up with a decent tape. They do all right with masking tape and packing tape, but the “scotch tape” sold in Europe has been driving me crazy for 20 years. Let’s all call up 3M and beg them to send tape.
Migraine and cold medicines
Stay healthy with modern chemistry. Pain and cold pills are stronger in the US. Plus they are available in “family packs” of 500 or 1000 pills and can be purchased over the counter. Tylenol, Claritin and company just are not sold here. Maybe the European drug regulations are stricter than in the US?
What US products do you miss when you are abroad?
Next time I’ll look at German products I often bring to the US.
Image from ams.usda.gov
Wait, there’s another b5er in Munich? No way!
Vanilla extract and liquid smoke are high on my personal import list…
I don’t know in Germany, but there are Cheerios in Greece. You can’t judge a continent only by a country…
I’m surprised Tastykakes didn’t make Jean’s list.
Back when I was in Munich, I missed good hard pretzels, so I imported them myself. I also couldn’t get a good substitute for Italian sausage, so I made my own (which wasn’t nearly as good).
On this side of the pond, most of the beers I used to miss are now available (I even bought a case of Augustiner Edelstoff a while back), but I still miss German office supplies (binders and that sort of thing), if not the Tesa Film (tape). I’m convinced some of the Bahlsen products don’t travel well even when they are available.
@Jul – yes I used to bring over Vanilla extract, but now I can find it at speciality stores. I also used to have a problem with baking soda, but it is available as “Haus Natron”.
@John – thanks for the tip! Which supermarkets have Cheerios? Next time my friends go there I’ll ask them to bring some to Germany.
@Chris – Tastykakes just don’t stack up to German bakeries.
I concur with Chris on the european office supplies. Pens, notebooks, files, etc are just so much nicer.
I fell seriously in love with Berol Pens during my first extended trip to the UK – and ever since I try to get some when I travel there.
You show me a Butterscotch Krimpet at a German bakery … Although I’m more of a peanut butter Kandy Kakes guy. Actually, no argument that German bakeries are better than Tastykakes, but we’re talking supermarket stuff here. Besides, German chocolate is better than Reese’s but once in a while you just have a hankering for the good-old fashioned badness of American processed foodstuffs. I never missed Cheez whiz, though, and I still don’t eat it, not even on a cheesesteak.