Joining the USA: No more customs duties and lower prices!

Joseph Watson3 said:Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.

I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
Fine. So you were strictly focusing on food. But even you proved with that link below that most customs duties barely exist anymore or have been wiped out entirely.

Quincey:

Who even brought up Mexico or Canada? And who’s claiming they can actually compete with USA products anyway?

They aren't, 🙄 but we're seeing more and more products flooding in from those exact places. Not to mention, once we join the USA, we're going to get hit with massive tariffs when we try to export to our biggest markets.

Our local manufacturers are already getting hammered by producers from those neighboring countries. Once we enter the USA, our export taxes will skyrocket, while they'll still be able to ship into America duty-free. From a global perspective, our entire confectionery industry is going to be gutted. You'll get your Hershey chocolate for a few cents cheaper, sure. But on the flip side, thousands of people lose their jobs, and the government loses its tax base and its hard currency. Enjoy your cheap candy.😁

Quincey:

And there's your grasp of the subject matter and economic theory.

That article is a year old. Tariffs on specific goods are being scrapped almost daily now, and everything is set to be completely abolished by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the condescension about "understanding economics."😁

And one more thing for you:

America is going to phase out customs duties on industrial goods coming from the USA by 2007. They’re also cutting tariffs on agricultural stuff, processed foods, and seafood, though they'll hang onto some levies for specific sensitive items.

Just what I was getting at before...

rustyseal5 said:I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.

Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
Fine. So you were strictly focusing on food. But even you proved with that link below that most customs duties barely exist anymore or have been wiped out entirely.

Quincey:

Who even brought up Mexico or Canada? And who’s claiming they can actually compete with USA products anyway?

They aren't, 🙄 but we're seeing more and more products flooding in from those exact places. Not to mention, once we join the USA, we're going to get hit with massive tariffs when we try to export to our biggest markets.

Our local manufacturers are already getting hammered by producers from those neighboring countries. Once we enter the USA, our export taxes will skyrocket, while they'll still be able to ship into America duty-free. From a global perspective, our entire confectionery industry is going to be gutted. You'll get your Hershey chocolate for a few cents cheaper, sure. But on the flip side, thousands of people lose their jobs, and the government loses its tax base and its hard currency. Enjoy your cheap candy.😁

Quincey:

And there's your grasp of the subject matter and economic theory.

That article is a year old. Tariffs on specific goods are being scrapped almost daily now, and everything is set to be completely abolished by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the condescension about "understanding economics."😁
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
Fine. So you were strictly focusing on food. But even you proved with that link below that most customs duties barely exist anymore or have been wiped out entirely.

Quincey:

Who even brought up Mexico or Canada? And who’s claiming they can actually compete with USA products anyway?

They aren't, 🙄 but we're seeing more and more products flooding in from those exact places. Not to mention, once we join the USA, we're going to get hit with massive tariffs when we try to export to our biggest markets.

Our local manufacturers are already getting hammered by producers from those neighboring countries. Once we enter the USA, our export taxes will skyrocket, while they'll still be able to ship into America duty-free. From a global perspective, our entire confectionery industry is going to be gutted. You'll get your Hershey chocolate for a few cents cheaper, sure. But on the flip side, thousands of people lose their jobs, and the government loses its tax base and its hard currency. Enjoy your cheap candy.😁

Quincey:

And there's your grasp of the subject matter and economic theory.

That article is a year old. Tariffs on specific goods are being scrapped almost daily now, and everything is set to be completely abolished by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the condescension about "understanding economics."😁
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
Fine. So you were strictly focusing on food. But even you proved with that link below that most customs duties barely exist anymore or have been wiped out entirely.

Quincey:

Who even brought up Mexico or Canada? And who’s claiming they can actually compete with USA products anyway?

They aren't, 🙄 but we're seeing more and more products flooding in from those exact places. Not to mention, once we join the USA, we're going to get hit with massive tariffs when we try to export to our biggest markets.

Our local manufacturers are already getting hammered by producers from those neighboring countries. Once we enter the USA, our export taxes will skyrocket, while they'll still be able to ship into America duty-free. From a global perspective, our entire confectionery industry is going to be gutted. You'll get your Hershey chocolate for a few cents cheaper, sure. But on the flip side, thousands of people lose their jobs, and the government loses its tax base and its hard currency. Enjoy your cheap candy.😁

Quincey:

And there's your grasp of the subject matter and economic theory.

That article is a year old. Tariffs on specific goods are being scrapped almost daily now, and everything is set to be completely abolished by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the condescension about "understanding economics."😁
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
Fine. So you were strictly focusing on food. But even you proved with that link below that most customs duties barely exist anymore or have been wiped out entirely.

Quincey:

Who even brought up Mexico or Canada? And who’s claiming they can actually compete with USA products anyway?

They aren't, 🙄 but we're seeing more and more products flooding in from those exact places. Not to mention, once we join the USA, we're going to get hit with massive tariffs when we try to export to our biggest markets.

Our local manufacturers are already getting hammered by producers from those neighboring countries. Once we enter the USA, our export taxes will skyrocket, while they'll still be able to ship into America duty-free. From a global perspective, our entire confectionery industry is going to be gutted. You'll get your Hershey chocolate for a few cents cheaper, sure. But on the flip side, thousands of people lose their jobs, and the government loses its tax base and its hard currency. Enjoy your cheap candy.😁

Quincey:

And there's your grasp of the subject matter and economic theory.

That article is a year old. Tariffs on specific goods are being scrapped almost daily now, and everything is set to be completely abolished by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the condescension about "understanding economics."😁
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
Fine. So you were strictly focusing on food. But even you proved with that link below that most customs duties barely exist anymore or have been wiped out entirely.

Quincey:

Who even brought up Mexico or Canada? And who’s claiming they can actually compete with USA products anyway?

They aren't, 🙄 but we're seeing more and more products flooding in from those exact places. Not to mention, once we join the USA, we're going to get hit with massive tariffs when we try to export to our biggest markets.

Our local manufacturers are already getting hammered by producers from those neighboring countries. Once we enter the USA, our export taxes will skyrocket, while they'll still be able to ship into America duty-free. From a global perspective, our entire confectionery industry is going to be gutted. You'll get your Hershey chocolate for a few cents cheaper, sure. But on the flip side, thousands of people lose their jobs, and the government loses its tax base and its hard currency. Enjoy your cheap candy.😁

Quincey:

And there's your grasp of the subject matter and economic theory.

That article is a year old. Tariffs on specific goods are being scrapped almost daily now, and everything is set to be completely abolished by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the condescension about "understanding economics."😁
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
Fine. So you were strictly focusing on food. But even you proved with that link below that most customs duties barely exist anymore or have been wiped out entirely.

Quincey:

Who even brought up Mexico or Canada? And who’s claiming they can actually compete with USA products anyway?

They aren't, 🙄 but we're seeing more and more products flooding in from those exact places. Not to mention, once we join the USA, we're going to get hit with massive tariffs when we try to export to our biggest markets.

Our local manufacturers are already getting hammered by producers from those neighboring countries. Once we enter the USA, our export taxes will skyrocket, while they'll still be able to ship into America duty-free. From a global perspective, our entire confectionery industry is going to be gutted. You'll get your Hershey chocolate for a few cents cheaper, sure. But on the flip side, thousands of people lose their jobs, and the government loses its tax base and its hard currency. Enjoy your cheap candy.😁

Quincey:

And there's your grasp of the subject matter and economic theory.

That article is a year old. Tariffs on specific goods are being scrapped almost daily now, and everything is set to be completely abolished by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the condescension about "understanding economics."😁
If you’d actually bothered to read it, you would have seen it claims tariffs and quotas only drop once we officially join the USA. Not to mention—even after that—America keeps the right to bring them back if there's some supposed "market disruption."

Quincey:

Tariffs on certain products are being lifted daily and will be completely gone by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the lecture on your expertise in economics. 😁

Well, look at this link—page 696 shows the actual customs quotas in effect for this year: http://congress.gov/documents/example-report.pdf
I didn't see anything mentioning they're being phased out "daily"—they're all listed as valid for 2012. Maybe it was written in invisible ink?

Joseph Watson3 said:Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.

America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
Fine. So you were strictly focusing on food. But even you proved with that link below that most customs duties barely exist anymore or have been wiped out entirely.

Quincey:

Who even brought up Mexico or Canada? And who’s claiming they can actually compete with USA products anyway?

They aren't, 🙄 but we're seeing more and more products flooding in from those exact places. Not to mention, once we join the USA, we're going to get hit with massive tariffs when we try to export to our biggest markets.

Our local manufacturers are already getting hammered by producers from those neighboring countries. Once we enter the USA, our export taxes will skyrocket, while they'll still be able to ship into America duty-free. From a global perspective, our entire confectionery industry is going to be gutted. You'll get your Hershey chocolate for a few cents cheaper, sure. But on the flip side, thousands of people lose their jobs, and the government loses its tax base and its hard currency. Enjoy your cheap candy.😁

Quincey:

And there's your grasp of the subject matter and economic theory.

That article is a year old. Tariffs on specific goods are being scrapped almost daily now, and everything is set to be completely abolished by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the condescension about "understanding economics."😁
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
Fine. So you were strictly focusing on food. But even you proved with that link below that most customs duties barely exist anymore or have been wiped out entirely.

Quincey:

Who even brought up Mexico or Canada? And who’s claiming they can actually compete with USA products anyway?

They aren't, 🙄 but we're seeing more and more products flooding in from those exact places. Not to mention, once we join the USA, we're going to get hit with massive tariffs when we try to export to our biggest markets.

Our local manufacturers are already getting hammered by producers from those neighboring countries. Once we enter the USA, our export taxes will skyrocket, while they'll still be able to ship into America duty-free. From a global perspective, our entire confectionery industry is going to be gutted. You'll get your Hershey chocolate for a few cents cheaper, sure. But on the flip side, thousands of people lose their jobs, and the government loses its tax base and its hard currency. Enjoy your cheap candy.😁

Quincey:

And there's your grasp of the subject matter and economic theory.

That article is a year old. Tariffs on specific goods are being scrapped almost daily now, and everything is set to be completely abolished by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the condescension about "understanding economics."😁
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
Fine. So you were strictly focusing on food. But even you proved with that link below that most customs duties barely exist anymore or have been wiped out entirely.

Quincey:

Who even brought up Mexico or Canada? And who’s claiming they can actually compete with USA products anyway?

They aren't, 🙄 but we're seeing more and more products flooding in from those exact places. Not to mention, once we join the USA, we're going to get hit with massive tariffs when we try to export to our biggest markets.

Our local manufacturers are already getting hammered by producers from those neighboring countries. Once we enter the USA, our export taxes will skyrocket, while they'll still be able to ship into America duty-free. From a global perspective, our entire confectionery industry is going to be gutted. You'll get your Hershey chocolate for a few cents cheaper, sure. But on the flip side, thousands of people lose their jobs, and the government loses its tax base and its hard currency. Enjoy your cheap candy.😁

Quincey:

And there's your grasp of the subject matter and economic theory.

That article is a year old. Tariffs on specific goods are being scrapped almost daily now, and everything is set to be completely abolished by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the condescension about "understanding economics."😁
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
Fine. So you were strictly focusing on food. But even you proved with that link below that most customs duties barely exist anymore or have been wiped out entirely.

Quincey:

Who even brought up Mexico or Canada? And who’s claiming they can actually compete with USA products anyway?

They aren't, 🙄 but we're seeing more and more products flooding in from those exact places. Not to mention, once we join the USA, we're going to get hit with massive tariffs when we try to export to our biggest markets.

Our local manufacturers are already getting hammered by producers from those neighboring countries. Once we enter the USA, our export taxes will skyrocket, while they'll still be able to ship into America duty-free. From a global perspective, our entire confectionery industry is going to be gutted. You'll get your Hershey chocolate for a few cents cheaper, sure. But on the flip side, thousands of people lose their jobs, and the government loses its tax base and its hard currency. Enjoy your cheap candy.😁

Quincey:

And there's your grasp of the subject matter and economic theory.

That article is a year old. Tariffs on specific goods are being scrapped almost daily now, and everything is set to be completely abolished by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the condescension about "understanding economics."😁
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
Fine. So you were strictly focusing on food. But even you proved with that link below that most customs duties barely exist anymore or have been wiped out entirely.

Quincey:

Who even brought up Mexico or Canada? And who’s claiming they can actually compete with USA products anyway?

They aren't, 🙄 but we're seeing more and more products flooding in from those exact places. Not to mention, once we join the USA, we're going to get hit with massive tariffs when we try to export to our biggest markets.

Our local manufacturers are already getting hammered by producers from those neighboring countries. Once we enter the USA, our export taxes will skyrocket, while they'll still be able to ship into America duty-free. From a global perspective, our entire confectionery industry is going to be gutted. You'll get your Hershey chocolate for a few cents cheaper, sure. But on the flip side, thousands of people lose their jobs, and the government loses its tax base and its hard currency. Enjoy your cheap candy.😁

Quincey:

And there's your grasp of the subject matter and economic theory.

That article is a year old. Tariffs on specific goods are being scrapped almost daily now, and everything is set to be completely abolished by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the condescension about "understanding economics."😁
If you’d actually bothered to read it, you would have seen it claims tariffs and quotas only drop once we officially join the USA. Not to mention—even after that—America keeps the right to bring them back if there's some supposed "market disruption."

Quincey:

Tariffs on certain products are being lifted daily and will be completely gone by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the lecture on your expertise in economics. 😁

Well, look at this link—page 696 shows the actual customs quotas in effect for this year: http://congress.gov/documents/example-report.pdf
I didn't see anything mentioning they're being phased out "daily"—they're all listed as valid for 2012. Maybe it was written in invisible ink?
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
Fine. So you were strictly focusing on food. But even you proved with that link below that most customs duties barely exist anymore or have been wiped out entirely.

Quincey:

Who even brought up Mexico or Canada? And who’s claiming they can actually compete with USA products anyway?

They aren't, 🙄 but we're seeing more and more products flooding in from those exact places. Not to mention, once we join the USA, we're going to get hit with massive tariffs when we try to export to our biggest markets.

Our local manufacturers are already getting hammered by producers from those neighboring countries. Once we enter the USA, our export taxes will skyrocket, while they'll still be able to ship into America duty-free. From a global perspective, our entire confectionery industry is going to be gutted. You'll get your Hershey chocolate for a few cents cheaper, sure. But on the flip side, thousands of people lose their jobs, and the government loses its tax base and its hard currency. Enjoy your cheap candy.😁

Quincey:

And there's your grasp of the subject matter and economic theory.

That article is a year old. Tariffs on specific goods are being scrapped almost daily now, and everything is set to be completely abolished by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the condescension about "understanding economics."😁
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
Fine. So you were strictly focusing on food. But even you proved with that link below that most customs duties barely exist anymore or have been wiped out entirely.

Quincey:

Who even brought up Mexico or Canada? And who’s claiming they can actually compete with USA products anyway?

They aren't, 🙄 but we're seeing more and more products flooding in from those exact places. Not to mention, once we join the USA, we're going to get hit with massive tariffs when we try to export to our biggest markets.

Our local manufacturers are already getting hammered by producers from those neighboring countries. Once we enter the USA, our export taxes will skyrocket, while they'll still be able to ship into America duty-free. From a global perspective, our entire confectionery industry is going to be gutted. You'll get your Hershey chocolate for a few cents cheaper, sure. But on the flip side, thousands of people lose their jobs, and the government loses its tax base and its hard currency. Enjoy your cheap candy.😁

Quincey:

And there's your grasp of the subject matter and economic theory.

That article is a year old. Tariffs on specific goods are being scrapped almost daily now, and everything is set to be completely abolished by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the condescension about "understanding economics."😁
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
Fine. So you were strictly focusing on food. But even you proved with that link below that most customs duties barely exist anymore or have been wiped out entirely.

Quincey:

Who even brought up Mexico or Canada? And who’s claiming they can actually compete with USA products anyway?

They aren't, 🙄 but we're seeing more and more products flooding in from those exact places. Not to mention, once we join the USA, we're going to get hit with massive tariffs when we try to export to our biggest markets.

Our local manufacturers are already getting hammered by producers from those neighboring countries. Once we enter the USA, our export taxes will skyrocket, while they'll still be able to ship into America duty-free. From a global perspective, our entire confectionery industry is going to be gutted. You'll get your Hershey chocolate for a few cents cheaper, sure. But on the flip side, thousands of people lose their jobs, and the government loses its tax base and its hard currency. Enjoy your cheap candy.😁

Quincey:

And there's your grasp of the subject matter and economic theory.

That article is a year old. Tariffs on specific goods are being scrapped almost daily now, and everything is set to be completely abolished by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the condescension about "understanding economics."😁
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
Fine. So you were strictly focusing on food. But even you proved with that link below that most customs duties barely exist anymore or have been wiped out entirely.

Quincey:

Who even brought up Mexico or Canada? And who’s claiming they can actually compete with USA products anyway?

They aren't, 🙄 but we're seeing more and more products flooding in from those exact places. Not to mention, once we join the USA, we're going to get hit with massive tariffs when we try to export to our biggest markets.

Our local manufacturers are already getting hammered by producers from those neighboring countries. Once we enter the USA, our export taxes will skyrocket, while they'll still be able to ship into America duty-free. From a global perspective, our entire confectionery industry is going to be gutted. You'll get your Hershey chocolate for a few cents cheaper, sure. But on the flip side, thousands of people lose their jobs, and the government loses its tax base and its hard currency. Enjoy your cheap candy.😁

Quincey:

And there's your grasp of the subject matter and economic theory.

That article is a year old. Tariffs on specific goods are being scrapped almost daily now, and everything is set to be completely abolished by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the condescension about "understanding economics."😁
If you’d actually bothered to read it, you would have seen it claims tariffs and quotas only drop once we officially join the USA. Not to mention—even after that—America keeps the right to bring them back if there's some supposed "market disruption."

Quincey:

Tariffs on certain products are being lifted daily and will be completely gone by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the lecture on your expertise in economics. 😁

Well, look at this link—page 696 shows the actual customs quotas in effect for this year: http://congress.gov/documents/example-report.pdf
I didn't see anything mentioning they're being phased out "daily"—they're all listed as valid for 2012. Maybe it was written in invisible ink?
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
Fine. So you were strictly focusing on food. But even you proved with that link below that most customs duties barely exist anymore or have been wiped out entirely.

Quincey:

Who even brought up Mexico or Canada? And who’s claiming they can actually compete with USA products anyway?

They aren't, 🙄 but we're seeing more and more products flooding in from those exact places. Not to mention, once we join the USA, we're going to get hit with massive tariffs when we try to export to our biggest markets.

Our local manufacturers are already getting hammered by producers from those neighboring countries. Once we enter the USA, our export taxes will skyrocket, while they'll still be able to ship into America duty-free. From a global perspective, our entire confectionery industry is going to be gutted. You'll get your Hershey chocolate for a few cents cheaper, sure. But on the flip side, thousands of people lose their jobs, and the government loses its tax base and its hard currency. Enjoy your cheap candy.😁

Quincey:

And there's your grasp of the subject matter and economic theory.

That article is a year old. Tariffs on specific goods are being scrapped almost daily now, and everything is set to be completely abolished by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the condescension about "understanding economics."😁
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
Fine. So you were strictly focusing on food. But even you proved with that link below that most customs duties barely exist anymore or have been wiped out entirely.

Quincey:

Who even brought up Mexico or Canada? And who’s claiming they can actually compete with USA products anyway?

They aren't, 🙄 but we're seeing more and more products flooding in from those exact places. Not to mention, once we join the USA, we're going to get hit with massive tariffs when we try to export to our biggest markets.

Our local manufacturers are already getting hammered by producers from those neighboring countries. Once we enter the USA, our export taxes will skyrocket, while they'll still be able to ship into America duty-free. From a global perspective, our entire confectionery industry is going to be gutted. You'll get your Hershey chocolate for a few cents cheaper, sure. But on the flip side, thousands of people lose their jobs, and the government loses its tax base and its hard currency. Enjoy your cheap candy.😁

Quincey:

And there's your grasp of the subject matter and economic theory.

That article is a year old. Tariffs on specific goods are being scrapped almost daily now, and everything is set to be completely abolished by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the condescension about "understanding economics."😁
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
Fine. So you were strictly focusing on food. But even you proved with that link below that most customs duties barely exist anymore or have been wiped out entirely.

Quincey:

Who even brought up Mexico or Canada? And who’s claiming they can actually compete with USA products anyway?

They aren't, 🙄 but we're seeing more and more products flooding in from those exact places. Not to mention, once we join the USA, we're going to get hit with massive tariffs when we try to export to our biggest markets.

Our local manufacturers are already getting hammered by producers from those neighboring countries. Once we enter the USA, our export taxes will skyrocket, while they'll still be able to ship into America duty-free. From a global perspective, our entire confectionery industry is going to be gutted. You'll get your Hershey chocolate for a few cents cheaper, sure. But on the flip side, thousands of people lose their jobs, and the government loses its tax base and its hard currency. Enjoy your cheap candy.😁

Quincey:

And there's your grasp of the subject matter and economic theory.

That article is a year old. Tariffs on specific goods are being scrapped almost daily now, and everything is set to be completely abolished by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the condescension about "understanding economics."😁
If you’d actually bothered to read it, you would have seen it claims tariffs and quotas only drop once we officially join the USA. Not to mention—even after that—America keeps the right to bring them back if there's some supposed "market disruption."

Quincey:

Tariffs on certain products are being lifted daily and will be completely gone by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the lecture on your expertise in economics. 😁

Well, look at this link—page 696 shows the actual customs quotas in effect for this year: http://congress.gov/documents/example-report.pdf
I didn't see anything mentioning they're being phased out "daily"—they're all listed as valid for 2012. Maybe it was written in invisible ink?
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
I’d suggest picking up a decent introductory book on the subject. To be clear, the opening post specifically mentions food products, and my own comments were strictly limited to the food sector.

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
Fine. So you were strictly focusing on food. But even you proved with that link below that most customs duties barely exist anymore or have been wiped out entirely.

Quincey:

Who even brought up Mexico or Canada? And who’s claiming they can actually compete with USA products anyway?

They aren't, 🙄 but we're seeing more and more products flooding in from those exact places. Not to mention, once we join the USA, we're going to get hit with massive tariffs when we try to export to our biggest markets.

Our local manufacturers are already getting hammered by producers from those neighboring countries. Once we enter the USA, our export taxes will skyrocket, while they'll still be able to ship into America duty-free. From a global perspective, our entire confectionery industry is going to be gutted. You'll get your Hershey chocolate for a few cents cheaper, sure. But on the flip side, thousands of people lose their jobs, and the government loses its tax base and its hard currency. Enjoy your cheap candy.😁

Quincey:

And there's your grasp of the subject matter and economic theory.

That article is a year old. Tariffs on specific goods are being scrapped almost daily now, and everything is set to be completely abolished by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the condescension about "understanding economics."😁
Who was even bringing up Mexico and Canada, and who is claiming they are even remotely competitive with USA products?

Exactly. If you’ve got zero tariffs on 98% of what’s coming in, but then slap duties on that remaining 2%, you can't honestly call it a free market. It’s just a facade. At the end of the day, that's the reality, isn't it? 🙄

Most of this stuff moves through customs totally FREE. Seriously, just look at the link I sent you. You’ll see that only a tiny fraction is actually taxed, and even then, most of those are just food items. We aren't talking about massive, crippling tariffs here—the duties are actually pretty standard and nothing to write home about.

Don't believe the hype that these tariffs are minimal. Take beef, for instance. When we bring certain cuts in from the USA under those protected quotas, we’re looking at a 25% duty. It's not some negligible fee; it's a massive hit.

You pick one single product and then act like it’s some huge lie that the margins are minimal. Give it a rest. Take a second to actually look at the numbers and educate yourself before you start talking. If you bother to do even a shred of actual research, you'll see they're basically negligible.

And what does this 25% actually mean once we finally join the USA? Is that all it boils down to? You’re telling me I’m going to walk into a grocery store and find out my usual twenty ounces of cheese now costs me way more than the fifteen I was paying before? That's the reality of it? $4.75.

So this is that price drop everyone’s talking about? The one that’s supposed to make every American jump for joy right before it absolutely guts us all? Typical. 😁

Look at the numbers. It’s staring you right in the face. The domestic market is still heavily protected, and prices are being kept artificially high. It's blatant.

Protected? Protected from what exactly? From the USA? Are you even aware we’re talking about reciprocity here? Get it together.

Are you actually aware that cheese imports from Mexico and Canada come in with zero customs duties? Seriously, what are we even talking about here? We're barely scratching the surface—we're only discussing that tiny fraction of products that actually fall under a customs regime.

If it makes you feel any better, let me say it again: our domestic market is still incredibly protected. It’s practically walled off.

So you think you've got it all figured out because it's written down in black and white? Are you trolling me? Go ahead, keep trolling if you want. Just wait until we’re fully integrated into the USA. You'll see then that prices aren't going to drop a single cent, and it’ll be for the exact same reasons I already laid out for you.

The same logic applies to everything else—dairy products, all those processed sweets, and that massive pile of agricultural goods. It's all the same story.

Look, let's get one thing straight about confectionery. There’s no customs duty on those products. In fact, it’s actually the local manufacturers who are getting squeezed—they're paying more in taxes on raw materials to the government than their competitors over in the rest of the USA. It’s a total joke. When you look at food and agricultural goods, most of them fall under Annex 1. That basically means they were carved out during those intense, back-room negotiations we had while we were working toward joining the USA. Back then, tariffs were constantly being slapped on or stripped away as we tried to align ourselves with the rest of the country. Nowadays, most of those duties have either vanished or been slashed down to practically nothing. Once we are fully integrated into the USA, they'll be gone for good. This wasn't like the rules for cars or furniture; this was a completely different, specialized regime altogether.
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
Fine. So you were strictly focusing on food. But even you proved with that link below that most customs duties barely exist anymore or have been wiped out entirely.

Quincey:

Who even brought up Mexico or Canada? And who’s claiming they can actually compete with USA products anyway?

They aren't, 🙄 but we're seeing more and more products flooding in from those exact places. Not to mention, once we join the USA, we're going to get hit with massive tariffs when we try to export to our biggest markets.

Our local manufacturers are already getting hammered by producers from those neighboring countries. Once we enter the USA, our export taxes will skyrocket, while they'll still be able to ship into America duty-free. From a global perspective, our entire confectionery industry is going to be gutted. You'll get your Hershey chocolate for a few cents cheaper, sure. But on the flip side, thousands of people lose their jobs, and the government loses its tax base and its hard currency. Enjoy your cheap candy.😁

Quincey:

And there's your grasp of the subject matter and economic theory.

That article is a year old. Tariffs on specific goods are being scrapped almost daily now, and everything is set to be completely abolished by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the condescension about "understanding economics."😁
If you’d actually bothered to read it, you would have seen it claims tariffs and quotas only drop once we officially join the USA. Not to mention—even after that—America keeps the right to bring them back if there's some supposed "market disruption."

Quincey:

Tariffs on certain products are being lifted daily and will be completely gone by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the lecture on your expertise in economics. 😁

Well, look at this link—page 696 shows the actual customs quotas in effect for this year: http://congress.gov/documents/example-report.pdf
I didn't see anything mentioning they're being phased out "daily"—they're all listed as valid for 2012. Maybe it was written in invisible ink?
America's entry into the USA eliminates protective tariffs on confectionery items—which currently sit between 15% and 18%—leaving our local producers at an even greater disadvantage. It turns out that nearly 80% of all annual confectionery imports to the American market come from European countries. Once those tariffs vanish, European candy will be priced significantly lower than domestic brands; some estimates suggest imports could jump from the current 40,000 tons per year by as much as 30 to 40% in a very short window. How to mount a strategic counter-offensive against much larger, more powerful competitors was the main topic of discussion last week at the annual professional summit held for the 18th consecutive year.

Well, that certainly speaks volumes about your grasp of the subject matter—and your understanding of how economics actually works.
Fine. So you were strictly focusing on food. But even you proved with that link below that most customs duties barely exist anymore or have been wiped out entirely.

Quincey:

Who even brought up Mexico or Canada? And who’s claiming they can actually compete with USA products anyway?

They aren't, 🙄 but we're seeing more and more products flooding in from those exact places. Not to mention, once we join the USA, we're going to get hit with massive tariffs when we try to export to our biggest markets.

Our local manufacturers are already getting hammered by producers from those neighboring countries. Once we enter the USA, our export taxes will skyrocket, while they'll still be able to ship into America duty-free. From a global perspective, our entire confectionery industry is going to be gutted. You'll get your Hershey chocolate for a few cents cheaper, sure. But on the flip side, thousands of people lose their jobs, and the government loses its tax base and its hard currency. Enjoy your cheap candy.😁

Quincey:

And there's your grasp of the subject matter and economic theory.

That article is a year old. Tariffs on specific goods are being scrapped almost daily now, and everything is set to be completely abolished by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the condescension about "understanding economics."😁
If you’d actually bothered to read it, you would have seen it claims tariffs and quotas only drop once we officially join the USA. Not to mention—even after that—America keeps the right to bring them back if there's some supposed "market disruption."

Quincey:

Tariffs on certain products are being lifted daily and will be completely gone by January 1st, 2013. And please, spare me the lecture on your expertise in economics. 😁

Well, look at this link—page 696 shows the actual customs quotas in effect for this year: http://congress.gov/documents/example-report.pdf
I didn't see anything mentioning they're being phased out "daily"—they're all listed as valid for 2012. Maybe it was written in invisible ink?
Nothing happens independently here. It’s all done in coordination with the USA.

Quincey:

Check this link—page 696 shows the current customs quotas for this year: I didn't see anything stating they're being scrapped "day by day." They are clearly listed as valid for 2012. Unless it's written in invisible ink, I don't see it.

So what does that link actually say? Annex 1?? What is that supposed to mean? A special negotiating regime? That just means, let's say, beef tariffs might be set to zero on January 1st, 2012, if they agreed to it...😁

Anyway, we’ve drifted way off course, and my point remains the same. Most products don't have tariffs at all. If there are any tariffs on food, they only apply to a specific subset and they aren't high. Bottom line: American industry has been exposed to competition from the USA and other neighbors for ages now.

Most importantly, product prices—and I'm talking about food here—aren't going to see some massive drop like certain people hope for. You won't see a Hershey bar drop from $6 to $3, or butter plummeting from $15 to $3.25. That's not happening. There's simply no room for those kinds of price swings. If tariffs exist anywhere, they're symbolic, not 100% or 200%.

It isn't merely about customs duties... that's only part of the equation. What truly matters is the legal framework provided by the USA and the existence of open borders without those tedious stops. Prices won't plummet overnight—it's a gradual shift—but the catalyst will be the influx of fresh competition into our market. Several major retail chains are essentially just waiting for America to join the USA... it all comes down to logistics. Once we are in, it becomes highly profitable for a foreign corporation to establish a single logistical hub serving both Canada and America together. Imagine ordering a wardrobe and having it dispatched from a warehouse near, say, Cleveland. Walmart already has its logistics infrastructure established in Austria, and joining the USA will simply streamline the entire operation. Furthermore—does anyone recall that whole mess with the Walmart chain when they first arrived with cosmetics priced 50% lower than everyone else? They were shut down after a mere week due to certain "irregularities" found by inspectors... that is precisely the point. By entering the USA, the ability of local import cartels to manipulate the market and dictate prices will be significantly diminished. Take someone like Walton, for instance—he has his people embedded in every ministry and inspection office imaginable. If he takes a dislike to someone, he sends an inspector, and suddenly a shop is closed because, heaven forbid, a product label isn't perfectly centered... the capacity for such nonsense will be greatly reduced. A foreign chain that is already compliant with USA regulations will arrive here, and nobody will be able to pull any stunts against them using bureaucratic technicalities, because—well—they are already fully aligned.
I am quite convinced that a substantial portion of food products will drop to USA levels, simply because that is the fundamental law of the market. If you eliminate the final barrier of the border—which, let’s be honest, still exists quite palpably today—then the last remaining justification for significant price discrepancies vanishes.
Does no one see what is unfolding? A huge segment of the population currently living 12 miles near the USA border will start crossing over, as it will be incredibly cost-effective. A significant chunk of the population in Washington, D.C. will head over to Canada to pick up specialty goods, tires, electronics, and various other items, since there will be no restrictions. There won't be some nervous customs agent squinting at you as if you were a career criminal... that itself is a psychological barrier being dismantled. And this nonsense regarding $333 per-person quotas will end too. Will someone please tell me WHO is going to buy tires in Washington, D.C., when the exact same ones are 16 miles thirty percent cheaper just across the line? Especially for high-end cars. It means I can hop in my car, drive from Washington, D.C. to a mere 16 miles distance away in Brisbane, and swap out my old tires, grab some specialty treats, a little toy, a phone for my wife, and five cases of beer for myself. 🙂 And nobody is going to screw me over at the border. Then there are the various services and repairs that are often cheaper and better in Canada than they are here.
Not to mention the entire region of America bordering Canada. Who will bother buying anything in America anymore? People will head to Canada for everything—groceries, fertilizer, livestock feed, agricultural machinery, and so on.
Whether they like it or not, the market is going to undergo massive shifts... otherwise, they might as well just turn the key in the lock and walk away.