Dispute over cheese names causes stumbling block in US-Mexico trade negotiations

An Emmentaler cheese imported from Switzerland is displayed in a store as a dispute over protected cheese names has emerged as a flashpoint in trade talks involving Mexico, the United States and the European Union, in Mexico City, Mexico August 26, 2026. REUTERS/Raquel Cunha

MEXICO CITY, Aug 28 (Reuters) - What's in a ⁠cheese name?

That question has become a sticking point in U.S.-Mexico trade talks, according to two Mexican government sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because, no matter how you slice ⁠it, cheese diplomacy can be delicate.