#imported as cheap as possible... rinse repeat loop I guess

[eponadolls]

Tariffs and Such

I don't want to feel like I was hijacking someone else's post, but I just wanted to chime in on how exhausting current events are, especially when it interrupts things like our hobbies and the little serotonin boost they can give us. I've seen people compare the US tariffs with things like VAT and it "evening out the playing field" (I didn't know our hobbies were a competition?), but I don't think a lot of people fully comprehend the ripple effects of everything. VAT is annoying, no one in the history of ever was happy about paying taxes, but these tariffs are not simple and a lot of information is difficult to find.

In all the genuineness I can muster up, I completely understand why on the surface it can be really frustrating to other hobbyists: Doll prices are usually determined by the USD rather than local currencies of dollmakers, most hobbyists outside America have been paying some kind of "import fee" for a long time, and America is... for a lack of a better word, "loud," and so on. I get it. I live here. I also have family overseas and I get how it can look from the other side! I think a lot of international folks have seen the "10%" tariff rate and assumed it was no big deal because things like VAT is generally around 20% but it's... not that simple. I wish it was. Things have been constantly shifting, but keep in mind, most goods America gets is from China. De minimis, which is a trade policy that has allowed imports of under $800 to enter the USA duty-free, is being removed effective immediately on May 2nd for - as I understand it - exclusively China, although there has been talks to remove de minimis for other countries in the future. Unless something changes drastically between now and then, the current tariff on Chinese goods is generally 145% and may come down from that rate, but the current wording is that it is 145% OR $100 minimum, whichever is higher, with plans to make it $200 minimum in a few months. This does not include the additional "customs merchandise processing fee," (an MPF) which from my best understanding seems to be at least ~$32 or so on very high value parcels (over $2,500) at a minimum with a max fee of about $615, and typically $2-$12 for "informal entries" (parcels worth under $2,500).

As for right now, a non-Chinese imported package, will not have a 10% tariff if it's under $800 (nor the associated MDF fee), though that is subject to change in the coming months. That said... As I understand it, as of May 2nd at 12:00am, a simple $5 Chinese item, hit by tariffs since de minimis has been removed for China, will rack up a $100+ "import fee." So it's not going to be, say, 145% of $5 ($7.25) plus a customs processing duties fee, if implemented as it is currently written. The United States is a very heavy consumption country, and with fees this high (along with things like the cost-of-living crisis that is effecting many people across the globe), there will be a ripple effect across the globe. Whether or not this all will happen as yet it is currently written has yet to be determined, but also keep in mind multiple states are currently suing the Trump Administration as in the Constitution (Article 1, Section 8), Congress has the sole authority to levy taxes such as tariffs. Congress (of which has a Republican majority) has passed laws which has allowed the President to impose tariffs for "national security reasons" without his power being checked, which carved the way for these tariffs which where seemingly calculated in a bizarre way. It's important to note that the politicians in power (and by extension, their political parties) and the regular citizens who live in the country are not the same.

Democracy in the United States is far from perfect, especially with issues like voter suppression, redlining, and gerrymandering, it's often been historically difficult for everyone to have their voices heard and votes cast. As always, a governmental institution is not always a fair representation of the people of that nation. The impact these changes have on our luxury hobbies in one thing, but we're witnessing many alarming, immediate, terrifying abuses of power that have been occurring since Trump took office in only a few months, many of which are out of a fascist handbook. These changes will hit everyone, American and non-American alike, and especially impact low income, minority households the hardest. There's currently a mess of issues going on, and the ripple will be hurting a lot of people, in a lot of industries, worldwide.

I know politics aren't really fun to see when it comes to our hobbies -especially if it's politics from a different, often quite "loud" country in the news and internet - but the idea that American hobbyists "had it coming" and that "it is leveling the playing field" is absolutely bizarre and appalling when considering the broader consequences and harm that will happen to lower-income households, and it's going to hurt the Chinese artists and companies that provide us with so many options for our dolls and their accessories.