Baby formula import waivers (2022)
After a major formula recall closed a Michigan plant, shelves went bare and prices spiked. The FDA and USDA relaxed import rules so foreign formula could reach U.S. stores quickly.
Millions of cans from Europe and Mexico entered the U.S. within weeks, easing the worst shortages.
The episode showed how quickly the government can waive import barriers to relieve consumer price pressure during a supply crunch.
Like today's beef suspension, it used import access as a short-term lever against consumer prices during a domestic supply shortfall.
