Importing from North America Has Become Tough

[Chargeride]

I though you might search the Krankies, but here you go.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

A lot of folks have a naive view of how trade in the modern world works. Also that view is a very good way to cause a major economic collapse.

This problem goes both ways. There is a lot of stuff that I purchase from small makers in Europe that are now essentially cut off when they removed the de minimus exemption. A smarter government would have made damned sure they had the infrastructure in place to process far more customs forms and track all of those payments before putting such rules in place. Alas, a smarter government is beyond our reach at the moment.

 

[Chargeride]

Ive noticed the WTO has gone all tumbleweed recently, during brexit they were on the TV every night

 

[Stefan Mikes]

A lot of folks have a naive view of how trade in the modern world works. Also that view is a very good way to cause a major economic collapse.

This problem goes both ways. There is a lot of stuff that I purchase from small makers in Europe that are now essentially cut off when they removed the de minimus exemption. A smarter government would have made damned sure they had the infrastructure in place to process far more customs forms and track all of those payments before putting such rules in place. Alas, a smarter government is beyond our reach at the moment.

I used to buy stuff from the UK before Brexit went full force. It is pointless now.

On unrelated note, I had a both scary and funny experience at the Warsaw Modlin WMI airport customs on my return from Dublin via London Stansted. I was stopped by Polish customs who told me to open my suitcase. "Oh, we have a small time smuggler here!" I had a bottle of Irish whisky from Ardara and two litres of rum from Stansted It was expected I would be fined and two of the three bottles would be smashed.

I had some instruction from a friend working in Stansted. He had told me the UK and Ireland had an agreement not to apply the customs within the British Isles (I cannot remember the name of the agreement now).

I reasoned I bought whisky in the European Union country (so it would not be the subject to the customs) and I could bring a litre of a spirit from the UK. Additionally, I was only doing a transfer in a customs free zone (I mentioned the trade agreement name). Of course, they could cut my crap easily but I think I was so convincing they let me go (with the traditional "we hope not to catch you again!")

Now, I'm really careful what I carry in my baggage. Last time I was in London, I bought a jar of Colman's Mustard (I love it!) but I had forgotten I was travelling with the cabin baggage only My luck the jar was just 100 ml, allowed in the cabin!

 

[Chargeride]

Were coming back in for sure, theres a full scale attack on Brexit, going back will solve all our problems, the sun will come up earlier, we'll all look younger.
we can have one big army to die in Ukraine etc etc.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I wanted to write something especially for you Charge but decided not, to save your day. I will write it now:
I feel you live in a dis/information bubble. A little travel abroad might change your views. Poland the next summer?

 

[Chargeride]

No Stefan, just a lifetime of watching the EEC turning into a power hungry, corrupt EU, its an inevitable and unstoppable civil service grand central for corporate influence, the downsides arent worth the advantages and they are completely different issues at stake

 

[Stefan Mikes]

No Stefan, just a lifetime of watching the EEC turning into a power hungry, corrupt EU, its an inevitable and unstoppable civil service grand central for corporate influence, the downsides arent worth the advantages and they are completely different issues at stake

DŻIZASKRAJST.

 

[Chargeride]

Theyre changing the name to SovEUet Union..still want to be in?

 

[Rás Cnoic]

I used to buy stuff from the UK before Brexit went full force. It is pointless now.

On unrelated note, I had a both scary and funny experience at the Warsaw Modlin WMI airport customs on my return from Dublin via London Stansted. I was stopped by Polish customs who told me to open my suitcase. "Oh, we have a small time smuggler here!" I had a bottle of Irish whisky from Ardara and two litres of rum from Stansted It was expected I would be fined and two of the three bottles would be smashed.

I had some instruction from a friend working in Stansted. He had told me the UK and Ireland had an agreement not to apply the customs within the British Isles (I cannot remember the name of the agreement now).

I reasoned I bought whisky in the European Union country (so it would not be the subject to the customs) and I could bring a litre of a spirit from the UK. Additionally, I was only doing a transfer in a customs free zone (I mentioned the trade agreement name). Of course, they could cut my crap easily but I think I was so convincing they let me go (with the traditional "we hope not to catch you again!")

Now, I'm really careful what I carry in my baggage. Last time I was in London, I bought a jar of Colman's Mustard (I love it!) but I had forgotten I was travelling with the cabin baggage only My luck the jar was just 100 ml, allowed in the cabin!

Common Travel Area. It predates Brexit by decades but in your case they should have asked for proof of purchase (receipts). Guess you sweet talked them. I remember travelling back from the States with a friend, both of us really hungover and at security my friend realised to his horror he still had his leatherman in his pocket- too late! He showed it to security at the x ray machine, explained it was a precious & expensive gift (engraved by his wife) no good, obviously couldn't travel with it. They chucked into their own special bin never to be seen again. We really were hungover as later, once through security & sitting in departures he suddenly remembered he still had the hire car keys in his jacket! Managed to find a way to post them back to the car rental place, back the other side of security. Some trip.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Common Travel Area. It predates Brexit by decades but in your case they should have asked for proof of purchase (receipts).

I was lucky as the whisky bottle label clearly read: "Made in Ireland"

I remember travelling back from the States with a friend, both of us really hungover and at security my friend realised to his horror he still had his leatherman in his pocket- too late! He showed it to security at the x ray machine, explained it was a precious & expensive gift (engraved by his wife) no good, obviously couldn't travel with it. They chucked into their own special bin never to be seen again.

Once, I was such an eejit as I had eggs in my baggage while travelling from Finland to Poland by air It was before the "liquid limits" but the eggs broke in the Helsinki airport anyway

We really were hungover as later, once through security & sitting in departures he suddenly remembered he still had the hire car keys in his jacket! Managed to find a way to post them back to the car rental place, back the other side of security. Some trip.

Which reminds me of my (late) Norwegian Old Boss as we travelled from Heathrow to the United States. We were in a hurry, and he grabbed a notebook from the check-in desk. Turned out, it was a property of some stewardess. We returned the notebook to the crew in Houston TX, asking them to return the thing to the owner!

 

[Chargeride]

Oviously Stefan sees the while situation from a completely different perspective.
Our small disconnection from the mainland,the ongoing relationships with the big hitters and our historical identity means we are more hesitant, it was De Gaulle of course vetoed our entry twice and who said the British shouldnt be allowed to join because we would be nothing but trouble, in fact they would destroy the dream
Nailed that one

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I only want to remind you almost half of voters wanted to Remain. It's just ridiculous to decide on such serious matters by simple majority, while it should have been the constitutional majority (2/3).
Simply saying, Breciteers tried selling their own country to Russian oligarchs.

we can have one big army to die in Ukraine etc etc.

"We don't want to die for Danzig" the French said back in 1939, which cost them dearly just a year later.

Our small disconnection from the mainland,the ongoing relationships with the big hitters and our historical identity means we are more hesitant

Your historical identity meant the Battle of Britain, war in the Africa, Italy, and in the Western Front.

 

[gromike]

Hopefully things don't go to "The right flank has fallen, the left flank has fallen, the center cannot hold."

 

[stompandgo]

A lot of folks have a naive view of how trade in the modern world works. Also that view is a very good way to cause a major economic collapse.

This problem goes both ways. There is a lot of stuff that I purchase from small makers in Europe that are now essentially cut off when they removed the de minimus exemption. A smarter government would have made damned sure they had the infrastructure in place to process far more customs forms and track all of those payments before putting such rules in place. Alas, a smarter government is beyond our reach at the moment.

I'd be all for a "smart system" that can trace multiple small packages to the same source and related destinations and whack the hell out of them with fines. You can't put a system like this in overnight. A decade, perhaps. Deminimus makes a lot of sense for e-commerce and small business, but certain countries have abused it to avoid tariffs, and that had to stop. The USA is the biggest consumer nation in the world. It's up to us to defend it. Hopefully, this can be lifted down the road.

Ideally, there should be no tariffs, or equal small tariffs worldwide, but that will never happen in my lifetime.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

I'd be all for a "smart system" that can trace multiple small packages to the same source and related destinations and whack the hell out of them with fines. You can't put a system like this in overnight. A decade, perhaps...

No small business or its employees can wait a decade. You are putting a lot of people out of business and a lot of people out of work with that foolishness.

Stopping it worldwide all at once with zero notice was an insane act. There would have been lots of ways to phase it in and minimize the most destructive consequences. Nobody cared enough to put in the effort and good people are out of work and good businesses that sold products you could get nowhere else are now gone.

 

[stompandgo]

There was plenty of notice. Plenty. It was phased in. Come to the table and make a trade deal. That was the phase in. When everyone wants your market, you make the rules. Nobody thought it would happen. FAFO.

There was a time when the USA didn't have an income tax, and generated the government operating income solely from tariffs. That was before the USA got addicted to nation building, regime change, and foreign country support, all with money the USA doesn't have. And before you spew out Maduro and Venezuela, I don't agree with Venezuelan regime change. Let them take care of that on their own. Their election fraud is not our issue. We need to deal with ours first.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

... but if the people who are hurt by the FAFO part are Americans it is hard to see how we can call it America First.

Yeah, I know, we are just supposed to adapt. But I find it puzzling how we expect soybean farmers in Iowa to plant avocado trees and coffee bushes there.

MAGA is intellectually indistinguishable from Maoism. If you don't see the ugly parallels you haven't read enough about the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution.