Important information from Kotare for American & Australian customers regards Bf 109K-4

[Zola25]

28 minutes ago, thierry laurent said:

 Finally guys do not complain too much as you do not have the privilege we have in Belgium: being the country with the highest taxes of the universe! 😉

Sorry to burst your bubble but you don´t even hit the top 5 Thierry - Try living in Scandinavia 😉  - and we Danes are the happiest people in the world next to our cousins from Finland. 🙃. The higher the taxes you have to pay, the happier you are apparently 😀

 

/Niels

Edited May 2 by Zola25

[Zola25]

On another note, I just saw an Interview with the Harbour Master of the Port of LA. They are seeing a 38% reduction in arrivals of container vessels from China next week already...

[thierry laurent]

Actually I'm just observing and not complaining. I don't care about the amount of taxes AS FAR AS they seem logical to me for the quality of public services we get and their implementation is done in a coherent and logical way... And as we probably have the best chocolate in the world and it is a quite good antidepressor, I'm fine! 😁

[thierry laurent]

1 hour ago, Zola25 said:

Sorry to burst your bubble but you don´t even hit the top 5 Thierry - Try living in Scandinavia 😉  - and we Danes are the happiest people in the world next to our cousins from Finland. 🙃. The higher the taxes you have to pay, the happier you are apparently 😀

 

/Niels

I know you are quite "priviliged" as well! Actually, this is for the taxes on wages that we are number one. For VAT, I think you are indeed "better" than us! 

[cbk57]

13 hours ago, Aptivaboy said:

Not trying to be political, but there is a simple solution to all of this: reciprocal ZERO tariffs. I actually believe that is the current administration's end goal. Foreign commentators and some foreign leaders have discussed this at length, not the ones you normally see on US TV. Trump himself has mentioned this several times referencing fair trade, as opposed to free trade. I don't believe these tariffs will remain long term. My prediction is that they'll largely be gone by the end of the summer. Look at China, whose factory utilization is now at a ten year low. They can't sustain that indefinitely, with the new Chinese middle class desiring the ability to afford cars, homes and all of the accoutrements of modern life. A deal will have to be made. When foreign countries eliminate tariffs on US goods, the USA will do the same - total trade equality. Once that occurs, our ability to easily and cheaply order our favorite hobby kits and supplies will return.  It's just a question of when, and how much economic dislocation will occur in the interim - that's the real elephant in the room, how much pain will there be in the short run.

 

Again, it isn't my intention to be political. Like Model Monkey, I'm simply offering my assessment. Having said that, I'm also a believer in hedging my bets, so I'm preordering some Kotare kits this evening. Momma didn't raise no dummy!

 

 

Bob

 

 

PS. I have to get back to the Intrepid bridge you printed for me. The Decrepit will sail this summer!

 

I disagree as to bit about administrations goal being zero tariffs.  I think the believe they want to onshore more factory work in the U.S.  I also believe they want to eliminate some of the tax code and replace it with tariffs.  I wish they were more thoughtful in their approach as I think their method is ineffective and misguided.   But I am of a mind that Bond yields will dictate the ending of all this.  

 

Manufacturing that we want to retain and value, cannot compete against China or India in a zero tariff environment.   China is already surpassing us in EV technology.  It also manufactures a lot of machinery at a fraction of the price North American Companies can.  I saw an excellent comparison of Chinese made Skid Steers to North American, the American made machinery cost about $40,000 before accessories and the Chinese made version cost 15,000 with accessories.  So even with a 200% tariff the Chinese equipment is cost competitive.  

 

To compound the situation, just like Model Monkey pointed out the added cost of the tariffs on equipment increase the cost to the small business using the equipment or reduces the equipment they can buy so the customer needing services pays more or waits longer for those services or both.  We need to smarly defend our industries but going to far will be counter productive.

Edited May 2 by cbk57

[Dave Williams]

I think we’ve gone far past the message from Kotare and general comments on impact to the hobby and into the realm of politics, which are supposedly banned.  
 

It is what it is, and we’ll have to deal with it.  Not really much more to say.

[Archimedes]

Thinking of importing kits and not the broader sweep of imports and tariffs: I've had a note from Kotare regarding my order. Apparently, the US de minimis limit for small packages worth less than $800.00 will continue to apply and thus, as things stand, individual kits or small numbers of them, will not be subject to the 145% tariff if manufactured in China when entering the USA. The de minimis rule appears reduce impact on individual buyers, but the tariff impact looks like it will remain for businesses like Andy's Hobby Headquarters, Sprue Brothers and manufacturers like Model Monkey (which reminds me I need to order a Beaufighter TFX cockpit set from them....

 

Kind regards,

Paul

Edited May 2 by Archimedes

[cbk57]

9 minutes ago, Archimedes said:

Thinking of importing kits and not the broader sweep of imports and tariffs: I've had a note from Kotare regarding my order. Apparently, the US de minimis limit for small packages worth less than $800.00 will continue to apply and thus, as things stand, individual kits or small numbers of them, will not be subject to the 145% tariff if manufactured in China when entering the USA. The de minimis rule appears reduce impact on individual buyers, but the tariff impact looks like it will remain for businesses like Andy's Hobby Headquarters, Sprue Brothers and manufacturers like Model Monkey (which reminds me I need to order a Beaufighter TFX cockpit set from them....

 

Kind regards,

Paul

I hope you are right, but this makes no sense and has to be a nightmare that de minimis is applied only to certain areas of origin.  I would hate to be sorting mail for a living and trying to keep track of what packages I have to collect money for and which ones to ignore.  I have not seen the message yet on de minimis limits not effecting my Kotare order.  I had decided that on a one time basis I was going to pay any customs if it came to that.  I don't think I was expecting 145% though when we started seeing this.  Obviously, we mostly placed our pre-orders months ago.   I go to Canada a lot so I will be making my new kit purchases up there for a while in all likelihood.  I am seriously contemplating that if I walk in Sunward hobbies and see a stack of Kotare 109s this summer that I will buy the whole stack and bring it back.  I will be at Toronto Pearson twice and Sunward is super close to the airport.  

[do335b6]

As someone who imports kits I can tell you tarffis have already been an issue. If importing from Hong Kong, Japan , China etc. You now can only do it via speedpak or EMS. In HK and China EMS is hitting the exports with a base shipping charge of $150 -200 not including any tariffs that may be added  this additional charge is then paid by the importer. Out of the Far east there is no limit on size any order from 1 item to 1000s are being hit equally. Currently shipments from EU have not had this issue but they are preparing for the eventuality as well.

 

Winston V 

Owner Bagheera Productions

[mozart]

3 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

I think we’ve gone far past the message from Kotare and general comments on impact to the hobby and into the realm of politics, which are supposedly banned.  
 

It is what it is, and we’ll have to deal with it.  Not really much more to say.

I don’t think the thread is political per se; there are obviously political undertones but it’s more about the impact on businesses and customers. I for one thank our Mods for allowing this discussion to run, as can be usually expected from our fair-minded  membership there has been no nastiness or slagging. 

[Shoggz]

I agree Max. There are practical implications to us modellers from these activities.

[Out2gtcha]

Guys we are indeed teetering on the edge with this one......

 

We have done some pruning here but Honestly I'm not sure this one is in the spirit of it's intent, but the members who regularly post here may not always agree, but do normally keep level heads about the direction of the discussion, which is why it is still here.

 

Delving off into the "T-word" and why they are, or are not the cause of modeling issues will definitely get this one shut down, just a heads up on keeping the discussion on topic (please).

[CRAZY IVAN5]

5 hours ago, cbk57 said:

I hope you are right, but this makes no sense and has to be a nightmare that de minimis is applied only to certain areas of origin.  I would hate to be sorting mail for a living and trying to keep track of what packages I have to collect money for and which ones to ignore.  I have not seen the message yet on de minimis limits not effecting my Kotare order.  I had decided that on a one time basis I was going to pay any customs if it came to that.  I don't think I was expecting 145% though when we started seeing this.  Obviously, we mostly placed our pre-orders months ago.   I go to Canada a lot so I will be making my new kit purchases up there for a while in all likelihood.  I am seriously contemplating that if I walk in Sunward hobbies and see a stack of Kotare 109s this summer that I will buy the whole stack and bring it back.  I will be at Toronto Pearson twice and Sunward is super close to the airport.  

Like you I haven't seen anything on the Deminimus clause[?] if true would allow some "workarounds" so to speak. We'll just have to ride it out , thank heavens I have a decent stash which really does need some winkling down.  

[Wayne Bull]

It will be just another cost that you have to facter in buying models ,being down here in NZ we already have to pay 15% on anything we order on line through our GST we never used to but now we do .And for example that gets added to even the cost of shipping .And because we dont have access to any where near as much cool stuff that you guys can get over the counter were constantly ordering from overseas . It just makes you  think a bit harder do i really want that or do i need it .Yes it will impact things but what doesnt these days and it will clam down at some stage and we will have a new normal that we have learned to deal with .

Edited May 2 by Wayne Bull

[CRAZY IVAN5]

18 minutes ago, Wayne Bull said:

It will be just another cost that you have to facter in buying models ,being down here in NZ we already have to pay 15% on anything we order on line through our GST we never used to but now we do .And for example that gets added to even the cost of shipping .And because we dont have access to any where near as much cool stuff that you guys can get over the counter were constantly ordering from overseas . It just makes you  think a bit harder do i really want that or do i need it .Yes it will impact things but what doesnt these days and it will clam down at some stage and we will have a new normal that we have learned to deal with .

I agree in principle with reservations. I could "absorb" an increase of 15, 20 , or even 25%, but not 145%! That's just out of the range of good clean fun. I do most certainly agree with you in that this a hobby not a life or death issue so I can wait. I can still gnash my teeth for all the good it would do[none].