Avocados? Will beef and lumber be next?

While George Bush is in Canada, hearing how Canadian producers would like the U.S. to halt its protectionist stances toward Canadian beef and softwood lumber, we learn that the U.S. is opening its border (in stages) to more imports of avocados that compete directly with those raised in California (link via Drudge). This is just another example of producer/landowners seeking to protect their rents at the expense of consumers. And given the recent history of protectionism in the U.S., I'm surprised the consumers won out in this case. I wonder if it had anything to do with how California voted in the last election...