The United States is sitting out a World Health Organization conference in Moscow this month to protest the foreign policy of Russia. The conference will be discussing a toughening of a global anti-tobacco treaty. The U.S. has signed but not ratified that treaty. Since 179 other countries are parties to it, however, it has consequences for the U.S. tobacco industry.

Previous talks have reached an impasse over proposals to incorporate a minimum excise tax of 70 percent in the treaty. That minimum would be a large increase for many countries, and might well stimulate black markets in some of them. The European Union, Canada, Guatemala, and others have urged that this minimum be made as non-binding as possible.

I don’t really see the point of making treaties that govern domestic law in this manner: Why not just let countries set their own cigarette-tax policies, and at most cooperate in thwarting smugglers? If other countries wish to put such policies in agreements among them, though, I suppose it’s their business. In this matter, I’ll be rooting for the EU.