Hello Peter & All,
One can only give an opinion in answer to your questions. I am only a
beekeeper which sells his surplus drums on the open market but because I do
I have watched the market for   a very long time.  I can remember when honey
sold for .09 U.S. a pound and a drum brought around $60 U.S..


> Is there any open discussion about what is going to happen when the
Chinese authorities get their  act together and possibly flood the market
with several seasons worth of honey.

There will be at the up coming conventions. Most dialog between beekeepers
in the lounge.

>
> Is it considered likely that the previously antibiotic tainted crop will
be diluted with subsequent
> crops and then put onto the world market?

I believe the tainted honey will be mixed with new crop but until I talk
with those in charge of inspecting incoming honey I have not got a clue what
the ratio might be for the antibiotic not to be detectable.

> Would such a practice be possible to detect as having happened?

How could you if the antibiotic is not found in the honey.

 If so, is there evidence of a will  to try and pre-empt such an occurrence?

There are those which want to protect the pure name of honey but I no of no
way to stop the above.

Possible scenario:
The honey would appear at the port of entry. Agents would sample the
product. If the antibiotic is not detected the honey would enter any country
the honey was being shipped to. All which would be with the drums would be a
bill of lading saying the number of drums and point of origin and the word
"Honey" and the person the honey was being shipped to.

> Are buyers willing to trade in such material, knowing that volumes of
chinese honey arriving onto  the market will be strongly suspect in having
been manipulated to cover up previous "mistakes"?

I believe you know the answer to the above!
If the honey tests free of the antibiotic sales will soar with packers
without questions because of *low price* . Unlike most of the Argentine
honey most of the Chinese honey is very light in color. Excellent for
blending with darker honey.

My opinion:
I buy  other  store brands from time to time  to test the competition. I
consider both Argentine and China honey inferior to our U.S. Clover and
Alfalfa honey. The blends look good but taste bad (in my opinion). Many
people have quit buying the store blended honey. Color is the most important
consideration by the packer. I believe the U.S. consumption of honey would
be double what it is now if we only sold U.S. produced honey in the U.S..


Bob