Tariffs

[themadhippy]

Letters aren't affected, for example, and people can send gifts worth less than $100 to each other."

wonder how long it will be until customs etc cotton onto that loophole and start examining "personnel gifts" from certain locations more closely

[AVGresponding]

Letters aren't affected, for example, and people can send gifts worth less than $100 to each other."

wonder how long it will be until customs etc cotton onto that loophole and start examining "personnel gifts" from certain locations more closely

Given the likely numbers of those, it seems unlikely they'll be able to check more than a tiny percentage of them

[PlainName]

Letters aren't affected, for example, and people can send gifts worth less than $100 to each other."

wonder how long it will be until customs etc cotton onto that loophole and start examining "personnel gifts" from certain locations more closely

Given the likely numbers of those, it seems unlikely they'll be able to check more than a tiny percentage of them

Doesn't really matter if they can't check more than a few of them - they'll eventually strike lucky. Normally the return on investment would be very low (they can't apply fines greater than the value of the goods, for instance), hence why the de minimis exists in the first place. But this is Trump and the loophole being exploited will mean he's lost (whatever game he was in) so that won't matter to him. He will likely push more resources in and either a huge blockage will occur or he'll bump up tariffs on 'offending' countries to punish them.

[wasyoungonce]

So I guess its an own Goal for the administration.  I hope the US people can persuade this to change.

The administration, their friends, and its financial backers will benefit because the import taxes will be used to fund tax reductions for the wealthy.

There is evidence the US sheeple can be tricked into believing that T'rump's policies will benefit them.

The continued insults of a nation of over 300 million is predictable but such a bore. No one takes you seriously. Propaganda at best, hate spreading at worst. Grow up.

"Hey Cyclotron" you do know that you are attributing quotes that i never posted or said!   Honestly I'm at a loss that you are so angry at me for something i never wrote nor thought

[Marco]

With the US bowing out of China's neomercantilism, the giant sucking sound out of China is getting steadily louder here in the EU. Euro is doing well thanks to accelerated Chinese currency manipulation, but our industry is getting fucked even harder than usual though.

The Euro exchange rate should be far far lower, which would suck if you have a job, but not so much for people in debt who are getting fired. The economic impact of a bombing Euro would also force some very necessary poltical realism on the EU, because it hits everyone and not just the people losing their job.

[Smokey]

So I guess its an own Goal for the administration.  I hope the US people can persuade this to change.

The administration, their friends, and its financial backers will benefit because the import taxes will be used to fund tax reductions for the wealthy.

There is evidence the US sheeple can be tricked into believing that T'rump's policies will benefit them.

The continued insults of a nation of over 300 million is predictable but such a bore. No one takes you seriously. Propaganda at best, hate spreading at worst. Grow up.

"Hey Cyclotron" you do know that you are attributing quotes that i never posted or said!   Honestly I'm at a loss that you are so angry at me for something i never wrote nor thought

Dude got banned ...

[tggzzz]

In another thread

While I wait for USPS to receive my book shipment, I noticed this article about the short-term effect of the tariff change:
https://apnews.com/article/un-postal-services-us-suspended-tariffs-d74eb6022e8838f39bba8ed9588c74ba
Short summary:  there is almost no international parcel post traveling to the US at present, and there is no system in place for collecting the tariffs on low-value shipments.
"The Bern, Switzerland-based agency [Universal Postal Union] said the 'major operational disruptions' have occurred because airlines and other carriers indicated they weren’t willing or able to collect such duties, and foreign postal operators had not established a link to CBP-qualified companies."

and that is being picked up by other news agencies, e.g. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/06/postal-traffic-us-plunges

Postal traffic into the United States plunged by more than 80% after the Trump administration ended a tariff exemption for low-cost imports
...
Eighty-eight postal operators have told the UPU that they have suspended some or all postal service to the United States until a solution is implemented with regard to US-bound parcels valued at $800 or less...

[Sorama]

I wonder how much die hard T fans like this.
This must hit every single American.

[Zero999]

So I guess its an own Goal for the administration.  I hope the US people can persuade this to change.

The administration, their friends, and its financial backers will benefit because the import taxes will be used to fund tax reductions for the wealthy.

There is evidence the US sheeple can be tricked into believing that T'rump's policies will benefit them.

The continued insults of a nation of over 300 million is predictable but such a bore. No one takes you seriously. Propaganda at best, hate spreading at worst. Grow up.

"Hey Cyclotron" you do know that you are attributing quotes that i never posted or said!   Honestly I'm at a loss that you are so angry at me for something i never wrote nor thought

Dude got banned ...

Seems a bit harsh. He only contributed to trouble in this thread and not the sole perpetrator. I haven't seen him causing any problems anywhere else.

Perhaps this thread should be closed? There again, I'm generally against closing threads; especially when it's about things which directly affect business, so maybe not.

[PlainName]

He took the piss out of a mod asking him to tone it down. Can you think of a surer way to get on their wrong side? He would till be here had he not then carried on as before.

[Zero999]

He took the piss out of a mod asking him to tone it down. Can you think of a surer way to get on their wrong side? He would till be here had he not then carried on as before.

So what? The moderators don't have extra privileges. I've seen much worse from people here which hasn't resulted in a ban.

[PlainName]

They were lucky, or he was unlucky, or the mod had a bad day, or good day depending, or... even in a court of law these things happen. Just be thankful you're not arguing the toss with a particularly thin-skinned and spiteful president

[tggzzz]

They were lucky, or he was unlucky, or the mod had a bad day, or good day depending, or... even in a court of law these things happen. Just be thankful you're not arguing the toss with a particularly thin-skinned and spiteful president

From what I can see, cyclotron continued to make, um, heated, posts for a day after he was given A Big Hint.

We cannot see what went on behind the scenes, of course.

[krish2487]

In another thread

While I wait for USPS to receive my book shipment, I noticed this article about the short-term effect of the tariff change:
https://apnews.com/article/un-postal-services-us-suspended-tariffs-d74eb6022e8838f39bba8ed9588c74ba
Short summary:  there is almost no international parcel post traveling to the US at present, and there is no system in place for collecting the tariffs on low-value shipments.
"The Bern, Switzerland-based agency [Universal Postal Union] said the 'major operational disruptions' have occurred because airlines and other carriers indicated they weren’t willing or able to collect such duties, and foreign postal operators had not established a link to CBP-qualified companies."

and that is being picked up by other news agencies, e.g. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/06/postal-traffic-us-plunges

Postal traffic into the United States plunged by more than 80% after the Trump administration ended a tariff exemption for low-cost imports
...
Eighty-eight postal operators have told the UPU that they have suspended some or all postal service to the United States until a solution is implemented with regard to US-bound parcels valued at $800 or less...

I wonder if this is an accidental outcome of the tariffs?
If I recall correctly, The turd targeted USPS in his first term as well... and this is just finishing the business? 
( Though, its not just USPS affected right now.. )

[PlainName]

What was his problem with USPS? As the official postal service they would be delivering cheap Chinese stuff for peanuts (but charging lots to go the other way), but that's surely a China issue rather than USPS one.

[Sorama]

How does one know he got banned ?

[Marco]

How much work would it be to cobble together a quick import one stop shop clone. Declare goods, make electronic payment, get QR code to put on package.

It doesn't have to be perfect, it doesn't have to cover all the corner cases, it just needs to get stuff moving. Then customs can get back to spot checking instead of the current cluster****.

[PlainName]

How does one know he got banned ?

[tggzzz]

How much work would it be to cobble together a quick import one stop shop clone. Declare goods, make electronic payment, get QR code to put on package.

It doesn't have to be perfect, it doesn't have to cover all the corner cases, it just needs to get stuff moving. Then customs can get back to spot checking instead of the current cluster****.

Start by defining legal and financial accountability of such a clone, in a form acceptable to entities that do business with that clone.

[krish2487]

What was his problem with USPS? As the official postal service they would be delivering cheap Chinese stuff for peanuts (but charging lots to go the other way), but that's surely a China issue rather than USPS one.

https://federalnewsnetwork.com/management/2018/06/trump-administration-seeks-to-restructure-then-privatize-postal-service/

I dont recall the exact reasons, but it looks like he viewed it as a liability rather than a service backbone.
In politics speak, he wanted to sell it one of his "friends" so that they can loot the govt. 

[Marco]

Start by defining legal and financial accountability of such a clone, in a form acceptable to entities that do business with that clone.

That's easy, executive order declaring an emergency ... it will be acceptable, or else.

[tggzzz]

Start by defining legal and financial accountability of such a clone, in a form acceptable to entities that do business with that clone.

That's easy, executive order declaring an emergency ... it will be acceptable, or else.

In the Netherlands (as per your flag) etc?!

Or maybe you mean a vastly expanded US customs operation?

[Marco]

The current situation is what caused the vastly expanded US customs operation.

We already have a one stop shop here, the US needs one yesterday ... and something functional can be cobbled together just as fast as Trump's tariffs. No one is going to be happy with it, but happier than with a total breakdown of small package shipping.

[Analog Kid]

What was his problem with USPS? As the official postal service they would be delivering cheap Chinese stuff for peanuts (but charging lots to go the other way), but that's surely a China issue rather than USPS one.

https://federalnewsnetwork.com/management/2018/06/trump-administration-seeks-to-restructure-then-privatize-postal-service/

I dont recall the exact reasons, but it looks like he viewed it as a liability rather than a service backbone.
In politics speak, he wanted to sell it one of his "friends" so that they can loot the govt.

This--getting rid of the annoyance of having a gubermint-funded and operated (partially at least: it's now a Frankenstinian "public-private partnership" with the worst aspects of each) postal service--has been a wet dream among the owning and ruling classes of the US since around Ronald Ray-Gun's reign. Privatize, privatize, privatize, that's the mantra.

It's why the US has such a piss-poor medical-care system, compared to places like ... Cuba.

Reminds me of a conversation I had when I was working the 2010 census in the Bay Area: got in a long conversation with a guy who turned out to be one of the famous Hallinan family (Terence "Kayo" Hallinan was a super-progressive San Francisco DA back in the day). He left me with something worth remembering:

There are two requirements for a functioning democracy. One is a reliable census; the other is a postal service accessible to all.

[krish2487]

I m in no position to point fingers in this case...
Postnord over here has gone down the drain over the last few years..
They have recently announced that they will stop delivering letters to the postboxes.. 

This will be the demise of a functioning democracy as you said..