Ask HN: Is Vegemite worthy of an international trade crisis?

3 points

a year ago

Canada and Australia, sister-countries of the British Empire now within the Commonwealth and simultaneously engaged in respective federal elections in the face of massive U.S.-instigated upheaval in global trade, are now engaged in a struggle over... Vegemite. Top trending news stories in Canada and Australia describe the turmoil as leading politicians have joined the fray:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/australian-canadian-cafe-owner-ordered-remove-vegemite-1.7508893

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/pro-vegemite-albanese-backs-cafe-owner-as-canada-cracks-down-on-iconic-spread-20250415-p5lrxr.html

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/15/anthony-albanese-backs-australian-cafe-owner-importing-vegemite-to-canada-ntwnfb

I personally loathe and despise Vegemite (and Marmite, too) but my wife finds it tolerable after trying it in her uni days at Flinders way back when.

Perhaps this crisis is only just an opportunity for levity in the midst of massive disruption to world trade patterns. Perhaps my click-baity question will bring a smile.

So, is Vegemite worthy of all the strife?

4 comments