Posted on 03/17/2017 8:12:03 AM PDT by Olog-hai
Germany could take the United States to court if Washington goes ahead with plans to tax imports, Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries said Friday, hours before Chancellor Angela Merkel’s first meeting with Donald Trump.
“I’m betting partly on reason and partly on the courts” to prevent a damaging trade war, Zypries told Deutschlandfunk public radio.
The minister’s combative stance comes ahead of Merkel’s first meeting with Trump in Washington and a gathering of G20 finance ministers in Baden-Baden, western Germany, set to be dominated by the US president’s “America First” policy. […]
If a US border tax was found to breach World Trade Organization rules, “it wouldn’t be the first time that Mr. Trump has failed before the courts,” Zypries said, in a jab at repeated rejections by US judges of executive orders banning immigration from majority-Muslim countries. …
(Excerpt) Read more at thelocal.de ...
WTO rules: Every country in the world is allowed to block or tax imports except the United States. So, take that, Trump!
Seig Heil!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We hear these ominous warnings that we might get into a “trade war” with China or Mexico or Germany, countries where we have a big trade deficit and they have been eating our lunch for years.
We are already in a trade war with these countries, and they are winning it.
Now we are to believe that they are going to threaten us, that if we don’t keep going with these giant trade deficits, they will stop trading with us and generating these giant trade deficits?
In other words, they are going to stop feeding out of the American pinata to keep us from taking the pinata away? Don’t think so.
What the krauts charge with imports (I remember what their grandfathers did):
https://m.dutycalculator.com/country-guides/Import-duty-taxes-when-importing-into-Germany/
Merkel is redirecting attention from her failed policies.
The U.S. imposes a 2.5% tariff on German cars.
Germany imposes a 19% VAT on U.S. vehicles plus the EU charges a 10% tax.
Just another example of our ridiculous trade policy.
From the calculator link above:
Import duty & taxes when importing into Germany
Overview
Import duty and taxes are due when importing goods into Germany from outside of the EU whether by a private individual or a commercial entity. The import duty and taxes payable are calculated on the CIF value, i.e. the sum of the value of the imported goods and the cost of shipping and insurance.
Duty Rates
The duty rates applied to imports into Germany typically range between 0% (for example books) and 17% (for example Wellington Boots). Some products, such as Laptops, Mobile Phones, Digital cameras and Video Game consoles, are duty free. Certain goods may be subject to additional duties depending on the country of manufacture, for example Bicycles made in China carry an additional (anti dumping) duty of 48.5%.
VAT Rates
The standard VAT rate for importing items into Germany is 19%, with certain products, for example books, newspapers and magazines, attracting VAT at the reduced rate of 7%. VAT is calculated on the value of the goods, plus the international shipping costs and insurance, plus any import duty due.
Note that the VAT is applied “on top of” the duty. I’d guess that the average total rate is at least 25%, and much higher when particular industries are involved (eg., bicycles.)
So, OK, Germany, how about the US slap a 25% rate on everything from you? We’ll knock off 3% if you get to that magic 2% of GDP for defense spending.
Muck Ferkel.
We are in a trade war now and anyone that says otherwise is a Free Traitor™ and deserves a Made in the USA pitchfork up their keester.
I’ve got to laugh at this. If a country wants to tax a product coming in, there are two choices: 1, pay it and pass the charge on to the dealer, or 2, don’t ship anything and each side will have to bite the bullet. It is against the principles of our history to be told we will have to do things like a foreign country says we will. England, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, and many more tried and were told to take a flying leap. It went from tea in the harbor to leveling central Japan to display our independence and our wishes to do as we see fit.
This isn’t any different.Good for you Trump.
red
Isn’t that cute? Germany’s stamping their little hobnailed boots!
Who the hell do they think they are? Who do they think we are?
Proper tariffs please, USA. Protect USA industry and jobs.
Go ahead and threaten German jerks. We don’t buy your bloody crappy stuff anyway...
Guess you haven't noticed all those BMWs and Mercedes Benz's on the road here.
Oh I’ve noticed....”WE” refers to principled Americans including my circle NOT those shallow Americans who bow to Mammon.
Go judge shopping like the RATs do. I hear Hawaii is lovely this time of year.
Piss on the WTO. I am all for free trade. But real free trade means just that - reciprocity.
China slaps US goods with 500-600% tariffs and has for years. Even US branded goods MADE IN CHINA have to pay that. Other countries plays games like declaring US products ‘unsafe’. Saw this constantly first hand when I worked overseas for Uncle Sugar.
I say raise tariffs with each country until there is a trade balance with that country - unless a particular country actually allows free trade with us and there are only a handful of those.
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