Bringing goods from the EU

[Cheshirechappie]

That is precisely the point raised in the newspaper article that I quoted in the initial part of this post. Carriers are allowed an open day on disproportionate costs for collecting the levies.

An aspect of the post that seems to have eluded the writers of the initial responses that came up.

You may care to read the last paragraph of my second comment on this thread. It's pretty obvious that once the UK has left the EU and the Transitional period has ended, we trade with EU countries in the same way we trade with any other country, and as the subject of import duties and other charges on purchases made by forum members from suppliers in the US and elsewhere has been discussed in the past, it shouldn't be a complete shock to anyone.

Argus - AES is right. This thread can only degenerate into the usual point-scoring, sanctimonious finger-wagging and general unpleasantness of the other 'political' threads. Maybe you did raise the issue in all innocence, but you do know how Brexit has been a divisive issue on this forum. I have no wish to fall out with you, you're a decent, knowledgeable member of the forum. But - as a long-standing member, you must know that poking a wasp's nest of a subject like Brexit and its ramifications is just bound to end in trouble.

Right - my reason for my first post was because I thought Off Topic was a better place for threads like this than it's original place in General Woodworking. The Moderators have moved the thread, so that's my concern addressed. I now wish I hadn't been drawn into the rest, but hey-ho, that's life. I'll leave those who wish to continue the subject to do so.

Edit to add - It now seems that the thread to which this comment referred has been merged with another thread, so my ramblings don't make much sense, unless you know the context! Hey-ho. Dat's life, folks.

 

[billw]

On topic about buying from the EU, this is a shambles. I was looking at something on EBay that was being sold in Ireland earlier and the listing said the price was subject to 20% VAT. Now, if the seller isn't VAT registered then he's probably already absorbed Irish VAT on the item and now I'm paying UK VAT as well? So that's good.

Losing access to firms like Dieter Schmid is basically going to be a godsend for my bank balance, but also a huge loss to a source of top quality kit at what was reasonable prices (and would be again I suppose if they figure out whether it's worth exporting.

Boris and co saying all the current problems are due to COVID is nonsense, nobody's asking for food health certifications because of COVID, they're asking because we aren't in the EU. I wonder how much longer they can keep this charade up before people start seeing the absolute train wreck that's been created.

 

[RobinBHM]

Clearly there are lots of changes to EU imports which are of real interest to us woodworkers.

Unfortunately Brexit is surrounded by so much misinformation, this thread is a real opportunity to learn what is actually happening in terms of VAT, delays and costs of importing.

I've learnt a lot already, so it would be a shame if this thread was stopped.

 

[Jake]

US FTA? Will make no difference, taxes and duties again, with admin charges of course.

Some people do not get the difference between an FTA and a Customs Union/Single Market. But I'm sure everyone will make an exception for us, we're English!

 

[julianf]

Some people do not get the difference between an FTA and a Customs Union/Single Market. But I'm sure everyone will make an exception for us, we're English!

The majority of the population believes the spin that brexit has happened and there is no trade barrier.

They think that the "free trade agreement" means nothing has changed.

If the news wasn't full of Covid, this mess would be all over it all of the time.

 

[Noel]

The majority of the population believes the spin that brexit has happened and there is no trade barrier.

They think that the "free trade agreement" means nothing has changed.

If the news wasn't full of Covid, this mess would be all over it all of the time.

Sadly many do, if a few recent posts are anything to go by. As Jake alludes too and I've posted before, a trade agreement (and there really is no such thing as a free trade agreement) ensures the flow of goods, customs & duties protect that flow of goods.

But hey, it's sovrinty innit.

 

[Peterm1000]

@Peterm1000: You wrote, QUOTE: Under EU law, the first person to import something into the EU has product liability FOREVER so the German company would be on the hook. UNQUOTE:

Sorry you are completely wrong on that point, which I happen to KNOW for a fact.

I don't know what you do for a living but I am a senior employee of one of the world's largest banks buying and financing billions of dollars of equipment across all of Europe. I have been in the industry for over 20 years and they pay me to know more than a little about import rules and Vat. I am sure I am not 100% right, but I know I am not completely wrong. What are your qualifications on this subject?

Previous threads have descended into chaos because of people's inability to be civil to each other...

Considerably more on the EU's product liability laws here but the important bit is as follows. There isn't a time limitation and at the moment UK law mirrors EU law on this point. That may well change of course.

"
Which parties can be held liable for defective products?

Under Article 3 of the Product Liability Directive, liability for a defective product extends to:

• the producer;
• the first importer of the product into the European Union (the intention being to ensure that there will always be a defendant within the European Union that can be held liable for the defective product);"

https://www.lexology.com/library/de...he European Union,for the defective product);

 

[bansobaby]

For pities sake, listening to some of this you would think the UK had been part of the EU since the dawn of time, and that leaving was similar to crossing the outer reaches of the galaxy and forming an entirely new civilisation on a barren moon.
It was never anything more than a bit of a club that got out of hand and turned into a colossal waste of money. Not to mention a gravy train for wannabe politicos who couldn’t hack it in their home countries.
It’s galling to think that a few generations ago we all fought to free Europe from something truly scary, and now we are shitting ourselves about being told to stand up and get on with it.
Pathetic.

 

[Jake]

For pities sake, listening to some of this you would think the UK had been part of the EU since the dawn of time, and that leaving was similar to crossing the outer reaches of the galaxy and forming an entirely new civilisation on a barren moon.
It was never anything more than a bit of a club that got out of hand and turned into a colossal waste of money. Not to mention a gravy train for wannabe politicos who couldn’t hack it in their home countries.
It’s galling to think that a few generations ago we all fought to free Europe from something truly scary, and now we are ******** ourselves about being told to stand up and get on with it.
Pathetic.

I really do not think you are armed with all the tools to call other people pathetic on this subject, but unfortunately we are where we are because knowledge and understanding are less important than the sorts of emotional feelings and factual distortions you are expressing.

 

[Droogs]

@bansobaby and on what front did you fight on, in which regiment? We didn't fight to free anything others did and they were the ones who, in the main, voted for us to join that club. In fact the leader of that generation was one of the main instigators for that club being created. Yeah that's right the guy all the brexiteers are soo enamoured and proud of, Winston Churchill was the strongest advocate of its creation.

 

[Jake]

@bansobaby and on what front did you fight on, in which regiment? We didn't fight to free anything others did and they were the ones who, in the main, voted for us to join that club. In fact the leader of that generation was one of the main instigators for that club being created. Yeah that's right the guy all the brexiteers are soo enamoured and proud of, Winston Churchill was the strongest advocate of its creation.

And then one Margaret Thatcher was the essential protagonist in the creation of the Single Market, and the expansion of what became the EU into more easterly Europe (an Atlantacist policy for various reasons). For all the faults, she was more of a realist than any current Tory frontbencher.

 

[nrg710]

And then one Margaret Thatcher was the essential protagonist in the creation of the Single Market, and the expansion of what became the EU into more easterly Europe (an Atlantacist policy for various reasons). For all the faults, she was more of a realist than any current Tory frontbencher.

She was also the only Conservative leader strong enough to slap down the Eurosceptics of her party. As soon as Major came along, Euroscepticism was effectively a party within a party and was tearing the Tories apart. David Cameron succeeded in stopping the EU question tearing his party apart, swapping it instead for an issue which has since- and will continue to- tear the country apart.

 

[Fergie 307]

I think it's important to remember that what we joined, and what Churchill and others had advocated, was the EEC. This was essentially a trading arrangement, without all the monetary and political union baggage that has evolved since. If the EU leadership don't wake up then it's these issues which will lead more countries to leave, and eventually bring the whole thing down. There are many examples where countries in a geographical area have formed strong trading blocks without the need to share currency and so forth, and are sucessful. They have the sense not to burden themselves with an equivalent of the EU Commission, which has sadly become a self serving, and deeply corrupt , organisation, who's major concern seems to simply be to concentrate ever more power in their own hands. I would be at all surprised to find that if you fast forward fifteen years there will be no Euro, and the organisation will have reverted to its original economic rather than political focus.

 

[Rorschach]

FWIW I would vote for the 70's EEC type situation and if that was what were part of in 2016 I would have voted to remain. I think simplified trading arrangements between close neighbours is an excellent idea. Unfortunately that is not where things ended and before anyone says anything yes I accept that successive UK governments were also partially responsible for what the EU became.

 

[billw]

FWIW I would vote for the 70's EEC type situation and if that was what were part of in 2016 I would have voted to remain. I think simplified trading arrangements between close neighbours is an excellent idea. Unfortunately that is not where things ended and before anyone says anything yes I accept that successive UK governments were also partially responsible for what the EU became.

What sort of things did the EU do that you didn’t like and why?

 

[Rorschach]

What sort of things did the EU do that you didn’t like and why?

Full of French people innit.

Seriously though, that is a long winded post I don't have time for right now but I'll try and type something up later. It will be boring though.

 

[Peterm1000]

Now we are well and truly off topic...

The thread is about what needs to happen to bring things into the UK from the EU. Rightly or wrongly, Brexit is done. We are out. Going over the reasons helps no one.

Now that Brexit is done, I think it is genuinely useful for people to understand how to buy things from abroad and bring them to the UK, the taxes they are going to incur and the risks they will be carrying so they can decide whether it is worthwhile or not. The costs are undoubtedly higher and there are greater risks. The Brexiteers would argue that those costs are offset by greater opportunities. I don't think we will know whether that is true for quite a while.

 

[Fergie 307]

The original, and very good idea, was that member countries agreed to trade between themselves without tariffs, taxes etc. In all other respects they remained independent. Unfortunately the dream scenario of the EU Commission now seems to be a United States Of Europe, with individual member governments entirely subservient to them. Personally I can't see this ever working, and I don't think it would be a good idea anyway. In the long term I think you will see a return to something more like the original organisation. This may come about because the Commission recognised the need to reform, unlikely in my opinion. More likely that other countries will now leave, and the remaining members will force a rethink.

 

[Fergie 307]

Now we are well and truly off topic...

The thread is about what needs to happen to bring things into the UK from the EU. Rightly or wrongly, Brexit is done. We are out. Going over the reasons helps no one.

Now that Brexit is done, I think it is genuinely useful for people to understand how to buy things from abroad and bring them to the UK, the taxes they are going to incur and the risks they will be carrying so they can decide whether it is worthwhile or not. The costs are undoubtedly higher and there are greater risks. The Brexiteers would argue that those costs are offset by greater opportunities. I don't think we will know whether that is true for quite a while.

Hear hear. What's done is done, no amount of whining about it is going to change anything, we have to get on with it. I think anyone who believed that this could ever been seamless was extremely naive, of course there will be some disruption. Hopefully things will settle down fairly quickly as everyone gets used to the new arrangements, and then we will have a clearer understanding of exactly where we are. I regularly but stuff from the EU, and continue to do so. I have to say I haven't really seen any reason to be confused about costs as they are usually fairly clearly stated. If the added VAT or whatever takes it over your budget, then you either swallow the extra cost or buy elsewhere. I agree entirely with those who have said that if you can then it's probably better to wait until things have settled down a bit.

 

[Limey Lurker]

It was never anything more than a bit of a club that got out of hand and turned into a colossal waste of money. Not to mention a gravy train for wannabe politicos who couldn’t hack it in their home countries.

Don't you think that Britain has now been turned into a bit of a club that's getting out-of-hand and wasting colossal amounts of money on a gravy train for wannabe politics who couldn't hack it in the EU?