alt Hacker News> Until Temu/AliExpress/etc sort out for the US the same system they use in the EU.
The thing is, the EU specifically set up a structure to make this easier for sellers and transparent for customers (the "import one-stop shop") and I don't see the US government doing any effort to make importations more seamless.
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For reference: https://vat-one-stop-shop.ec.europa.eu/one-stop-shop_en
Yeah EU doesn't have a special tariff per se, but they wanted a responsible legal entity in EU to deal with taxes and customer rights so they created this structure.
US just doesn't want anything imported. Doesn't help to set up US entity. You will have to pay this amount. Though, it helps with $1 orders if they import them and process them in bulk.
Well, the point of the action in the US is to stop imports, not just tax them, so manufacturing moves into the US. The minimum fee per item is clearly punitive.
Not that that matters, most manufacturing will simply never be in the US ever again, and having punitive taxes like this will simply drive up costs massively.
Didn't know that. I'm just a stupid EU sheep.
Incidentally, even Amazon US uses that facility. They charge me my local VAT plus some change ("exchange rate whatever" commission, something under 1%) and the package arrives in my hands via courier without any further interaction.
Even Mouser has set up a warehouse inside the EU in the past years. They went from a pain to order from to a pleasure.
Just to emphasise, this system has been set up for ages because you did need to pay VAT on imports anyway. Even without any special tariffs. And that means a visit to the post office in person.