Since we looked at how the new Brexit rules were affecting UK brands, retailers and distributors two weeks ago, things are continuing to evolve. What does it look like the situation will be, in terms of supply and pricing, over the coming months?
If Britain leaving the EU wasn’t enough to contend with, an ongoing shortage of shipping containers in Asia since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a knock-on effect of price increases, making it even harder for brands to absorb the already escalating costs of Brexit with tariff fees and new customs costs.
Stock that brands have built up in anticipation of port delays (because of lengthier customs processing) are dwindling as a result of the continual high demand of bikes—which, on top of shipping container shortages, has meant delays for customers after purchasing.
We previously reported on how the UK’s new rules on VAT are impacting brands and retailers in the EU selling to customers in the UK—with some having suspended sales to consumers temporarily, and others stopping altogether. Pages with Brexit rules and FAQs are popping up on websites as they try to effectively communicate to customers their approach in following the new guidelines.
There has been some confusion regarding who pays what charges — company or customer — and whether those charges are taken at checkout or upon delivery with courier.
> Planet X customers on the continent being asked to pay UK VAT amount as well as EU VAT
We reported yesterday that Ribble admits its information “could have been clearer” around the 14% post-Brexit tariff applied to bikes moving between the UK and EU that fall outside of the new ‘sale of origin’ rule, and has offered to refund the tariff amount for EU customers who ordered between 1st-17th January.
David Stacey, Ribble’s Commercial Director, said: “We’ve removed all UK VAT from the pricing that any European customer will see, so they aren’t paying for that twice. The customer also gets a pop-up message when they’re in our Bike Builder, which is the process every customer has to go through to buy a bike from us.
“That pops up to tell the customer that because of Brexit and the changes, they will be liable for local taxes and they will need to work that out with their local customs office when they receive the bike.”
Italian clothing brand La Passione also states on its website that for orders over £135, UK VAT will need to be paid to the courier upon delivery, and warns that the courier could charge an additional management fee.
Canyon has simply changed its pricing to cover any applicable duties or customs handling fees, so you see the whole amount you will have to pay at checkout: “The benefit is the pricing you see on our website and during checkout is the final pricing, and there are no additional fees once your Canyon order arrives with you,” the German bike manufacturer added.
Prices are rising, but not in a uniform fashion, as brands attempt to absorb some of the additional costs. As we reported, taking the Canyon Aeroad CF SL 8 Disc as an example, the price increase of 9.21% is not as much as the 14% import duty; but still, it’s a significant increase for customers.
One EU bike brand, that wishes to remain anonymous, has made road.cc aware that new customs costs are based on the volume of the parcel being shipped rather than weight. Although bike boxes are quite light for their size, calculating the shipping in this way means that considerable fees are being levied. This is a particular issue for lower end bikes, as the increased fees are proportionately greater relative to the cost of the bike compared to higher end models.
Mitigating that 14% import tariff (if a sizeable proportion of a bike’s frame and components are made outside of the UK and EU), plus the new customs charges is difficult for many brands to fully cover themselves.
Added to this, freight rates have risen to new highs due to the shortage of shipping containers transporting goods from Asia into Europe. The cost of shipping a 40ft container from Asia to Northern Europe has increased from $2,000 in November to more than $9,000, according to the Financial Times.
The slowdown in global trade and economic shutdown in Europe in the spring of 2020, due to coronavirus lockdowns, meant less containers were shipped back to Asia. Then in the second half of 2020, western demand for Asian-made products soared, and so did freight rates as shippers became desperate for available containers. Port delays are causing a further rise in prices, as freight operators are charging extra to compensate for longer waiting times.
For Ribble’s UK customers, this issue surrounding the shipping container shortage has meant lengthy lead times after purchasing.
David Stacey commented: “These factors are definitely not new, since about October time we’ve been experiencing major delays at ports.
“Not all of that is to do with Brexit, it’s to do with several other factors, mostly COVID and the furloughing of people at ports, and this has created a massive knock-on effect of container shortages and shipping delays, and therefore supply and demand dictates the price rise [with containers].”
This is an issue the brand has been battling for months now, but Brexit complications has exacerbated these inter-weaving problems. Stacey added: “It’s really difficult as a UK manufacturer, because we’re totally reliant on those constituent parts arriving with us. We basically build to order, none of our bikes sit on a shelf in a box. Every single customer who orders a bike from us has it hand-assembled from its constituent parts, and we’re just being crippled really by these delays. It’s been very, very difficult.”
> road.cc Sportive & Endurance Bike of the Year 2020/21
This all coincides with an increase in the numbers of us cycling and buying bikes, as the UK government has supported and encouraged cycling (amongst limited other forms of exercise) to continue through the pandemic, and the related lockdowns.
> 12 ways that lockdown has changed cycling
Ribble’s CEO Andy Smallwood said: “We’re still tracking at a very high level of demand. We forecast on a very regular basis, but it takes time to react to an increase in demand, and that’s compounded by delays as well.
“We are well placed to meet the demand, although there is obviously lead times involved, and that has an impact on what product will be available.
“That’s not just us, that’s the whole bike industry. Lead times are growing and availability is tough.”
> Bike at Bedtime: Drops Le Col Ribble Endurance SL R Disc
Any well-made plans made before the new Brexit rules arrived on 1st January 2021 have only helped to a limited extent.
Smallwood added: “We bolstered stock around multiple Brexit timing points in order to cover us for any delays. But with the bike industry there’s been significant growth, so that’s eaten into any buffer stocks we put in around Brexit. From a stock perspective and delays it wasn’t a case of being unprepared, just a case of other factors outside of that which has impacted us.”
Are the buffer stocks from other brands on the verge of completely running out? Perhaps then, we will see an even bigger hit from customs delays and shipping container shortages, as there’s no back-up stock to hide the damage?
There is also another issue emerging, relating to transporting imports from the EU, that could have implications on the bike industry in the coming months.
Increasing numbers of freight groups are rejecting contracts to move goods from the EU to Britain, according to a recent report by The Guardian. This is explained to be the result of the burdensome new financial guarantees, known as T1s, that apply to goods being exported to the UK. Alongside this, customs declaration and Rex (registered exporter system) documents to certify the origin of the product need to be provided, and cause added complications and paperwork for these freight companies—and these shippers are simply not interested.
We’ll be following the developments over the coming weeks and months, and will provide updates when any significant changes happen with the current situation. Are you a bike brand, distributor or customer with a story to tell about Brexit and the bike industry? Get in touch at info@road.cc
-1024x680.jpg "“Clear anti-cyclist bias”: Lawsuit filed against Toronto police after cop doored cyclist… before ticketing rider over incident")
154 thoughts on “Brexit and the bike industry: how the situation is evolving”
I don’t see a single benefit
I don’t see a single benefit there – just cost and inconvenience.
I realise our resident member
I realise our resident member of the Conservative & Brexit Party will be along shortly to defend the indefensible, and make gnomic remarks about the nature of VAT.
I would say, please don’t bother. Defend the Indefensible is tomorrow, with Colin Murray.
The whole clusterfck is
The whole clusterfck is completely self-inflicted and will take forever to roll back. Years of hassle lie ahead. Thanks for that, ignorant xenophobic brexiters.
Exactly. These bexeteers
Exactly. These bexiteers should be rubbing our nose in how good things are now shouldn’t they? But where are they? Hiding away in a corner somewhere feeling a bit stupid maybe. I’m surprised no one told them all this was going to happen (yes, sarcasm).
Derk Davies wrote:
Rich is trying his best, bless him…..
We didn’t leave the EU to
We didn’t leave the EU to make trade with the EU easier.
Increased trade with the rest of the world at the expense of decreased trade with the EU was the free trade Brexit argument.
We’ve now moved past the point of maximum uncertainty and we’re probably approaching the point of maximum disruption (exacerbated considerably by Covid-19).
Once everyone is accustomed to the new regulations the disruption will ease significantly.
Meanwhile we are now free to pursue new trading opportunities.
https://www.reuters.com/article/britain-trade-cptpp/update-1-uk-will-submit-request-to-join-cptpp-trading-bloc-soon-trade-minister-idUSL8N2JV21Z
Rich_cb wrote:
Nah, it was about 350m for the NHS. Or was it blue passports? One of the two…
So was it to destroy the
So was it to destroy the fishing industry then? Thats one thing that seems to be going very well.
Derk Davies wrote:
Fair’s fair, the fish are happier at least. They would have voted Brexit.
Captain Badger wrote:
Why wouldn’t they be happier, the Europeans are not allowed to catch as many, and the Brits can’t sell them if they do catch them. Life just got a lot safer for fish in UK waters.
You might want to reflect on
You might want to reflect on the impact that joining the EU had on the fishing industry before you cast that particular stone.
Rich_cb wrote:
You might want to make yourself aware about what’s happening to the UK fishing industry.
Miller wrote:
Sunlit up lands? Blue pass ports?
Ironically, fishing industry
Ironically, fishing industry representatives in Scotland campaigned to leave. But I think this was the white fish fleet rather than the shellfish, and the latter had less EU competition and more dependence on free and fast trade.
TheBillder wrote:
Now you’re just floundering. You need to learn your plaice. You must think I was prawn yesterday.
Shameless trawling. You are
Shameless trawling. You are Capt Birdseye and I claim my five pounds.
TheBillder wrote:
Only the best for my table!
Which was what exactly? Apart
Which was what exactly? Apart from British rights holders selling their fishing rights to other EU states.
I pity you, being so
I pity you, being so determined to argue that what the Conservative & Brexit Party has done is in our interests – but having no facts to support your argument.
Rich_cb wrote:
They seemed to be surviving fine for years and now certainly are not. So whats your point?
Yep, you can devaluate the
Yep, you can devaluate the pound, apply less taxes on labour, and become more interesting for services. But you have to compete with Ireland. To compete regarding products, you may also need to throw away most labour regulations. Welcome to a globalized world.
Why do you need to do any of
Why do you need to do any of those things?
The UK is the 5th largest economy in the world.
It is a world leader in services and finance.
It has the 9th largest manufacturing sector in the world.
All this has been achieved with workers’ rights and environmental protections in excess of those mandated by the EU.
Rich_cb wrote:
Not for long……
Do you really think the UK is now going to become the 4th? 3rd maybe? And that it was EU membership that was stopping it?
Look up long term projections
.
Rich_cb wrote:
What, a brexiter not able to identify the benefits? There’s a switch!
Sadly this world leader in
Sadly this world leader in services and finance is a bit less of a world leader right now because neither is covered by the deal. The EU also has its eyes on making Eurobond trade settlement happen within the EU, chipping away at London’s financial sector.
And I think we disagree on which of your claims are in spite of our membership and which might be because of it.
“All this has been achieved
“All this has been achieved with workers’ rights and environmental protections in excess of those mandated by the EU.’
hold on, I thought the EU made all the ‘laws’ that everyone had to ‘obey’. Or was that a lie too?
Lukas wrote:
Yes, apparently UK a world leader in workers rights and environmental protections, and the EU was holding us back from being even better, and UK business was hogtied with onerous environmental and workers rights legislation that was preventing it from competing (with other European countries, which magically did not have to comply with EU legislation….).
It’s very complicated and it’s not surprising the naive remainers cannot grasp these simple concepts…
That article says we are
That article says we are going to ask if we can join. It’s a long way from being in and there will be costs and things we have to concede in negotiations. The CPTPP may respond in the same way as Charles de Gaulle.
Agree. Also the EU is about
Agree. Also the EU is about 25 miles away. The CPTPP is thousands of miles away. Plus the EU is similar to the UK; modern and rich. And they buy the stuff (services included) that the UK produces. (Unlike, say Vietnam) So why would you decline the close, similar market for the possibility of one thousands of miles away that will have China as the dominant partner – a China that is a huge exporter and will demand access.
It may, but given that
It may, but given that several members have previously been receptive to the idea, that we have existing trade deals with several existing members and that we have very good relationships with several others it would be a bit unexpected.
When you say “existing trade
When you say “existing trade deals” do you mean the ones we had prior to Brexit? Because all of those ended.
They did. And they were
They did. And they were rolled over.
So for the countries in CPTPP we either have identical trade deals to the ones we had whilst an EU member or, in the case of Japan, marginally better ones.
So, in conclusion, we have existing trade deals.
I don’t think that the CPTPP
I don’t think that the CPTPP will make a worthwhile replacement for the EU. The UK has far less in the way of exports (8.5% of UK’s total exports, vs 45% for exports to EU) heading to these countries and the distances to them mean either slow shipping or expensive air freight. It’s far less practical than exporting to European nations.
I accept that there were good reasons to leave the EU; trade was not one of them. CPTPP comes across more as a rebound partner, I feel, than a serious trade policy.
How much do you think trade
How much do you think trade with the EU will decrease?
Clearly it won’t cease altogether.
We only have to increase trade with the rest of the world slightly to offset the small decrease in trade with the EU.
Given the projected growth of the EU relative to the rest of the world any increase in trade outside the EU would likely be compounded by a rapid increase in the relative size of the non EU market.
There’s the rub – on trade,
There’s the rub – on trade, at least. EU trade won’t stop, but the barriers that we have seen are a problem. We can’t start exporting fresh scallops to Singapore as they’ll be off before they arrive. We are unlikely to export financial services to developing countries as the demand there for business capital is mostly met locally or by China, and the demand for savings and pensions is lower.
Do we sell enough of the things that non EU countries want to buy and can be delivered? You may have more data than me, and hence an answer, but it still seems as if we made things far harder with one of the two biggest global markets in the hope of replacing that business mostly from smaller and less appropriate (further away, different requirements to our domestic market) ones.
I respect your point of view rich_cb, but I really struggle to balance this downside with any upside.
I think you only have to look
I think you only have to look at trade volumes between the UK and China to see that huge volumes of trade are possible even over longer distances.
As countries develop economically financial services and access to capital are some of the things they require most.
The UK is a world leader in this regard so mutually beneficial deals with rapidly developing countries should be eminently possible.
I view Brexit as a long term benefit to the UK. In 20 years the world economy will look vastly different to how it does now, the EU will represent a far smaller portion. At that point trade with rest of the world will be far far more important to our economy.
By prioritising that trade now we can ensure that we gain most from the changes that are already happening.
I get where you are coming
I get where you are coming from and hope you are right – genuinely, I would far rather be wrong on this. But I do think that the damage is not worth it. The UK will be marginalized further by the time the development has happened. Chinese capital will dominate, it’s more a question of how it is accessed, and once that role has left the UK it will not be back. The same is true of other parts of the outsized financial services industry.
The other issue, relevant to the original article, us that we don’t just buy and sell country to country. Global supply chains go through many stages, some of it mad, with huge transport distances between processes in manufacturing. But some of it is sane, with finished articles being composed of parts and labour from all over the place. We have wrapped all this in red tape in a protest against red tape.
The development is likely to
The development is likely to be rapid in economic terms.
Over the next decade many large developing countries will move firmly into the middle income category.
This will change the dynamic of the world economy immensely.
Outside of the EU we will be able to react more quickly and adjust trade policy more efficiently to capitalise on these changes and maximise the opportunities available.
Rules of Origin may provide problems for companies like Canyon/Cotic who essentially import products from outside the EU then bolt them together and brand them but for most companies that are actually involved in real manufacturing in the EU the effect will be negligible, see Mason cycles for example. No tariffs on any of their products.
The Rules of Origin are absolutely essential to future British trade deals as they are the only reason we are able to deviate from EU trade policy and yet still maintain a free trade agreement with the EU.
China will undoubtedly try to dominate the world financial system in the coming years, that’s part of the reason why the CPTPP is so important, if the US can be persuaded to join then it will be a vital counterweight to Chinese influence in the region. If Taiwan joined (they have expressed interest) then joining would probably hugely reduce the cost of bikes in the UK. A minor point in economic terms but quite important to readers of this site I imagine!
I think damaging EU trade in
I think damaging EU trade in the hope that trade with the rest of the world will compensate and leave the UK better off is a massive leap of faith that I was unwilling to make at the Referendum and struggle with now.
As this is a bike business story, it is clear that the bike consumer is worse off today since leaving the single market and custom union.
I genuinely hope you are right, and I am wrong, and over time the trade advantages you talk of do turn up and they outweigh today’s disadvantages. I suspect that Rees-Mogg may be right (not a phrase I thought I would ever type) and that we may have to wait 50 years for any benefits to show.
I agree that it is a leap of
I agree that it is a leap of faith but you could argue that remaining in the EU and hoping that its various problems would be resolved satisfactorily would also have been.
I do actually agree that, at this present moment, bike consumers in the UK are worse off.
It is however worth considering that for years bike consumers have paid a 14% tariff on most imported bike frames due to the EU common external tariff.
This is despite the fact that there is, afaik, no large scale frame production occurring within the EU at all.
It is essentially an extra tax that cyclists have been paying for decades.
If the UK follows a genuinely free trade path then I would hope to see those tariffs abolished to the great benefit of UK cyclists.
Really nice, but those import
Really nice, but those import tariffs were intended to protect EU industry. And the UK will also want to protect certain industries, perhaps not frame production. However, you have a lot more negiotiation leverage with a total population of >500 million (EU single market) than with 66 million. And in addition, you need to make (and maintain!) your own norms and standards now to protect yourself against the import of potential dangerous garbarge at dumping prices. So, in all, there’s probably a long road ahead. With more “power” comes a lot more responsibility and concerns.
Some tariffs are
Some tariffs are protectionist. There’s an argument that even those are counterproductive. Outside of the EU we have a far narrower range of products to protect so we need fewer of those regardless of your opinion on their usefulness.
Other tariffs are merely taxes in disguise, bike frames being just one example.
As the 5th largest economy in the world you can literally count on one hand the number of countries that will have leverage over us in terms of economic clout and we already have trade deals with two of them.
As the 5th largest economy in
As the 5th largest economy in the world you can literally count on one hand the number of countries that will have leverage over us in terms of economic clout
Oh dear! Is there no limit to the propensity of these people for self delusion? Germany took over from the UK as the economic powerhouse of Europe around 1870 and it’s still there now. The next few years will demonstrate the extent to which it’s a very foolish idea to pick a fight to the death with an economic group which is really up there at the top. That the fight is being ‘led’ by a buffoon and his sycophantic band of merry thickheads at a time of Covid economic catastrophe, against an EU with some highly competent leaders like von der Leyen and Merkel who also have some understanding of science, is our quadruple misfortune.
Are we not the 5th largest
Are we not the 5th largest economy in the world?
Do we not have trade deals with 2 of the 4 economies above us?
You may find those particular pieces of information inconvenient but, alas, you can’t choose your own facts.
Rich_cb wrote:
Look everyone, we’re still the 5th! Brexit’s not that bad.
Okay, we were when we were in the EU. And we had massive and diplomatic and democratic influence which we’ve just thrown away, which has the knock on of lessening our world standing and influence. And the brexit goons have also thrown away all UK citizens European rights.
But look – we’re at least a few days in, and we have yet to drop from 5th. Brexit’s great!
And don’t forget we can have blue passports now!
Is that 5th because of, or in
Is that 5th because of, or in spite of EU?
don simon fbpe wrote:
Rich knows a lot, we could ask him…
Why couldn’t we increase our
Why couldn’t we increase our rest of world trade before, like Germany did? What was actually stopping us? After all, the EU had deals with most of the countries that we might want to trade with. Deals so good that we just rolled them over without changing much.
Is it preferable to trade on
Is it preferable to trade on WTO terms or to trade within a Free Trade Agreement?
Of our top 5 export markets outside the EU sphere we only have FTAs with 2. It’s clearly incorrect to say we have trade deals with most of those we “might want to trade with”.
Germany and several other Norther European countries benefit from an undervalued currency so their export numbers can’t be directly compared to the UK’s.
Trade agreements negotiated with by the EU are not tailored to the UK’s needs. The highly complex regulations regarding orange imports in the South Africa agreement being a prime example.
Outside of the EU we can negotiate based on our own specific priorities, this will allow us to reach deals with more countries and to increase trade accordingly.
Well, because our economy is
Well, because our economy is predominantly services led – and there is no going back: it’s the UK’s competitive advantage, if you like. But services are more difficult to freely monetise cross-border than goods – and, they are also easier to provide from multiple jurisdictions.
So, for example, if Germany supplies a BMW to China there is no doubt that the BMW came from Germany, but the sale of services are more complicated and are very likely to be provided by a UK firm in country rather than cross-border…so it doesn’t count towards UK GDP. The cost of manufacturing a single BMW in China is the cost of an entire plant. The cost of providing accounting services is the cost of an accountant.
The EU single market was governed by the Single European Act (1986, I think, which provided for the free movement of capital, goods, services, and labour). It was supplemented by the treaties of Maastrict and Libon which crucially changes labour for people…meaning you could move freely without work – though only the UK accepted this unamended).
Where we are 40 years on is that the EU has perfected the single market for services, but crucially (for the UK, at least) did not perfect the single market for services – leaving our economy at a disadvantage.
I got CSE woodwork not recommended at school and am not very good at making things. If I tried to feed my familiy on my manufacturing ability then they would a) be poorer, and b) starve.
Going cycling now. It’s sunny and not snowing!
Give it up. You’re not
Give it up. You’re not convincing anyone, not even yourself. “New” trade agreements are simply replicating some of those we already had by virtue of being EU members.
…we are now free to pursue
…we are now free to pursue new trading opportunities”
Such as what for example?
And what stopped us before June 2016 in doing the same?
arbee wrote:
Oh you know… things….
We were not allowed to strike
We were not allowed to strike our own trade deals whilst in the EU.
We were also required to abide by the Common External Tariff.
The CPTPP is one example of a new trading bloc we are looking to join.
Rich_cb wrote:
Yes we were. We were part of any new deal that we were able to engineer as part of the EU. We had a great deal more bargaining power than as an individual country.
That’s true, but rich is also
That’s true, but rich is also right that the UK could only join in with EU deals and these were slow (remember the veto of the Walloon assembly on the Canada deal after about 12 years?).
But the bargaining power is surely a bigger factor. The UK may well be 5th in the table but the table is tight, with India and France close behind. And it’s actually the wrong measure – this needs to be done by the size of trading bloc. When the UK was in the EU, it was in the top 3 blocs that actually have trade deals to negotiate. Now we are still in the top 10 I believe, but a bit part player.
TheBillder wrote:
And indeed the EU could only join in deals with our say so. It’s teamwork and cooperation, and UK had a massive reputation (deservedly so ) as a deal broker within the EU – It got things done. Now of course we have minimal influence with the huge trading bloc on our doorstep.
Captain Badger wrote:
And indeed the EU could only join in deals with our say so. It’s teamwork and cooperation, and UK had a massive reputation (deservedly so ) as a deal broker within the EU – It got things done. Now of course we have minimal influence with the huge trading bloc on our doorstep.— TheBillder
Interesting that given that the johnson wants his legacy to be the environment, especially given the mismanagement of covid and the brexit balls up, that he would stick two fingers up at our closest trading partners in favour of a trade deal on the other side of the globe. It’s almost as if he hasn’t got s clue.
don simon fbpe wrote:
It might look like that to the naive it’s true, but…….OMG, look over there, sunlit uplands!
Rich_cb wrote:
CPTPP – Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam.
11 nations to trade with, all conveniently on our doorstep….
Rich_cb wrote:
So were all UK’s partners in teh EU. All had to abide by mutually agreed rules.
That’s standard for any bloc where there is a customs union. As with everything there are drawbacks and advantages. In our case with EU, the advantages of the CET outweighed the drawbacks….
No one said we all would be
No one said we all would be better off. Are you remainers that naive? There is alot still to be done. What Brexit represents now will be different in 1 -2 years good or bad. Stop being moaning maggots.
john phipps wrote:
For. F’s. Sake. That is EXACTLY what they said.
Miller wrote:
For. F’s. Sake. That is EXACTLY what they said.— john phipps
This! Apparently the NHS should now be £1BN+ better off, right? Been out three weeks, £350M a week, I read it on the side of a bus!
john phipps wrote:
So what are the benefits?
Unbelievable! You really
Unbelievable! You really think people ‘voted’ for Brexit cos they thought they would be worse off?!?! Awesome brexiteer logic. Let’s loose our jobs, but we’ll have more f******soveriegnty. Which weirdly no one seems to be able to explain the actual benefits of. But you know, don’t worry, it was our fault for thinking that less barriers and more unity would be a good thing.
john phipps wrote:
well the brexit side said we would be £350m a week better off which we could spend on the NHS.
While the remain side said we would be worse off, this was dismissed as project fear by the brexit side.
The remainers are not so naive we knew we were heading for increased cists and reduced income, but there were plenty of naive people hoodwinked by the leave campaign.
I know they say the winners write the history books, but I always thought that referred to wars, not referendums.
wycombewheeler wrote:
Whatever ills you may be able to blame on Brexit, I’m not sure saddle sores is one of them.
Changing the goalposts again
Changing the goalposts again – to cover up for the lies and stupidity. What else is there to be done? The ‘deal’ is done. What was once frictionless, free and routine in the largest single market on the planet is now full of forms, added costs and hugely restricted. And services aren’t even included. And people are locked out of freedom of movement. So what else is to be done?
john phipps wrote:
That is precisely how they conned people into voting leave.
Vote Leave promises: trade
Vote Leave promises: trade with the EU will be tariff-free and involve minimal bureaucracy. Lie.
john phipps wrote:
You voted to be worse off?
I’ve read some dumb bullshit about this topic but that takes the biscuit for sheer stupidity.
Simon E wrote:
It was the patriotic thing to do. You are a Patriot™, arent you?
Whichever ‘insider’ told you
Whichever ‘insider’ told you that customs costs are based on the volume instead of the weight of the shipping box was smoking illegal cigarettes. Customs costs are calculated on the customs value of the goods, to which is added only (in case of the UK) a very small fraction of the shipping cost. Shipping cost is determined by volumetric weight, combining volume, weight and -last but not least- stackability or lack of it of the item. I’m considering the issue from the EU side and for me it’s very siple: no more ordering in the UK unless the seller offers me DDP conditions (delivery inclusive of all taxes). For smaller items, it’s not the VAT that gets you, it’s the charge levied by the agent (DHL, Mail…) who files the declaration. Not worth the hassle.
Very true and I concur. Two
Very true and I concur. Two weeks ago a seatpost from UK (about 60 quid) cost me 30 Euros on arrival. Of that 30 Euros, about half was VAT and the rest was the DHL import fee. The elephant in the room in all this mess is that you effectively can’t return anything. Whether it arrives damaged, wrongly sized or whatever, you would have to re-export it and then have the supplier pay the fees on their side to get it back. The BBC are reporting on that very issue just today
Yep. I saw they said they
Yep. I saw they said they were incinerating stuff instead of bringing it back into tho country. Absolute madness.
Customs costs are based on
Customs costs are based on value, but actual shipping costs are based on either volume or weight, or combination of the 2.
This week I had to pay my
This week I had to pay my first import tax and handling fee for a package coming from the UK. It definitely makes shopping across the channel less attractive.
My last two parcels from the
My last two parcels from the UK (to Ireland) just squeaked in before the Brexit deadline and one of them got snagged by an officious postal worker who is determined that I should pay through the nose for it. The other one, thankfully, was released unharmed and delivered as normal, sans customs charge.
My current major purchase from Amazon UK is wending its way towards me but I’ve already paid up-front for what Amazon reckon is enough to cover the duty on it. In this particular instance the total cost isn’t unreasonable.
However, for future purchases I’m looking at ebay.de and Amazon.de, as even with a bit of shipping cost it will probably work out cheaper and less hassle to just deal with another EU entity.
I’m not alone in this, and I can see many others here doing the same.
I don’t know if it’s
I don’t know if it’s permanent, or applies to everything, but I note that everything on my bike24.com wishlist is currently saying “Product not shippable to United Kingdom.”
Brexit, the new scapegoat for
Brexit, the new scapegoat for all ills. Britain such a hateful, depressing nation post-Brexit that 4.2 million Europeans have applied to remain.
It’s as if retailers never took any opportunity they could to raise prices in Britain before. We’ve been paying over the odds for goods for as long as I can remember; “rip-off Britain” existed long before Brexit you know….
Hate crimes soared 41% after
Hate crimes soared 41% after Brexit vote. But don’t stop believing that it was all motivated by peace, love and tolerance if that’s your agenda.
I think Britain certainly had
I think Britain certainly had, and has, many problems that are unrelated to our membership, or otherwise, of the EU. But why anyone would feel that we should compound those problems by leaving the EU is beyond me.
Two things are sure:
Two things are sure:
1. More regulation compliance = more waste of resources and time. Items taking up space in bonded warehouses, additional administration time in filling forms and chasing resolution of problems. Double handling of millions of parcels. Think of it as an exercise in digging holes in the road and filling them in again. There is no net benefit but a lot of people are kept busy, resources tied up and the smooth flow of people just trying to use the road is severely disrupted.
2. The cost of things is already going up, availability is going down. British businesses are losing export trade and importing raw materials just got a whole lot more difficult.
Another anecdote to add to the litany of Brexit instigated carnage. Since the New Year the company I work for has lost 2 consignments of dry ice shipped Covid research material due to misunderstanding between courier and UK customs despite all paperwork being correct. They just got held up for too long before being cleared and arrived in an unusable state. Each time, not only is the sample lost, but 3 days of lab time and at least a 2 week delay to the planned research which puts us behind schedule. Total cost to the business runs into the £10s of thousands. Is this a widescale problem in the Biotech industry? I don’t know but if it becomes an ongoing problem then we will have no choice but to move a significant amount of research work to European based labs.
Blessed are the cheese-makers
Blessed are the cheese-makers
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jan/23/cheshire-cheesemaker-says-business-left-with-250000-brexit-hole
You’re welcome. This is not
You’re welcome.
This is not a joke.
Er, what so special about the
Er, what so special about the cheesemakers?…..
Chris Hayes wrote:
Obviously it’s not meant to be taken literally; it refers to any manufacturers of dairy products.
If you don’t know now, you
If you don’t know now, you never will.
But can they get together
But can they get together with pea growers? Cos if you like cheese, and you like peas…
TheBillder wrote:
I like em squeezy…..
I’m struggling to see the
I’m struggling to see the problem here, even the dumbest Daily Mail reader will have understood the months of Govt adverts on the telly telling us to get ready for Jan 1st.
Brexit was a fuck up in 2016.
It’s a fuck up in 2021.
It will continue to fuck us up for a very long time as we start to suffer the consequences on a small and individual basis.
EDIT: The only benefit so far is the break up of the union.
Why do you see the break-up
Why do you see the break-up of the union as a benefit?
I’m Welsh.
I’m Welsh.
don simon fbpe wrote:
Loves Europe, hates Britain.
Mark_1973_ wrote:
Loves Europe, hates westminster.
Mark_1973_ wrote:
Does that mean that all Brexiters hate Europe?
don simon fbpe wrote:
Me too. Desperately waiting for Wales (and Scotland) to leave the United Kingdom and apply to join the EU in their own right so I can get an EU passport again and keep the rights I was BORN WITH!
don simon fbpe wrote:
It wouldn’t be quite such a shit-show if they had told people what to be ready for.
But no-one knew, they couldn’t know, because Boris gambled, he pretended it was arm-wrestling, played a brinkmanship game and lost (unsurprisingly). The FT’s Peter Foster sheds some light on the process.
For anyone importing and/or exporting food from/to the EU it has become a nightmare. Brexit contingency planning had already diverted resources but it is now costing food and logistics businesses millions and wasting a ridiculous number of goodness knows how many people’s working hours; 3 weeks into 2021, my colleagues who deal with it are miles behind with their usual workloads with no let-up in sight. I’m sure it is a very similar scenario in other industries.
Disputing with Brexiteers is
Disputing with Brexiteers is about as worthwhile as with creationists, anti-vaxxers, flat-earthers, anti-maskers, Trump supporters etc. All they can do is quote cherry-picked non-facts, and spout rehearsed stupid arguments. Remember, it tells you all you need to know that Brexiteers voted Johnson in, along with Patel, Gove, Raab- I can’t go on, it’s too painful. These people are genuinely thick.
wtjs wrote:
A pre-rehearsed stupid argument and then an ad hominem.
You are really excelling yourself today.
If you announced to your
If you announced to your partner that you were thinking of splitting up and going your own way because you felt things weren’t working out, and they then threatened to make your life a misery and spoke of punishing you, dragging out the breakup for years, all the while still making new threats and demanding more and more restitution from you for the breakup, would you be on your knees begging to be taken back, or realise what a great decision you’d made?
Mark_1973_ wrote:
Are you attempting some kind of analogy?
If so then try a different one, that one’s rubbish.
How about this: you share an apartment block with a bunch of other people. You all buy stuff in bulk and each has the amount they requested, no-one makes more money than the others from it and everyone gets their share. Utility bills, insurances etc are split. People share resources, everybody sits around and agrees (or at least accepts) a majority decision on how to things generally work.
But you don’t like ‘being told what to do’ by the others. You decide to move out, get your own place, you prefer blue curtains and don’t like the fact that some residents have the heating on more than you and you don’t like the foreigners that live in the flat that you mate used to live in. They probably know the landlord and set him up (though in fact he got kicked out for not paying his rent).
But you still want to be in on the bulk shopping ’cause it’s cheaper and easier than going to the shops yourself every time. And you want a say in how the shopping scheme is run, which items are ordered when and where from.
You want the same security arrangements, the same cheap rent and don’t want to pay more for the gas and electricity. You don’t really want to pay for separate insurance, council tax, TV license, Netflix, wi-fi etc.
But the others say they aren’t keen because you said you wanted out, you wanted to take back control and make your own decisions, be in charge of your own bills. Then you start posting memes on social media blaming some of the other residents, you tell them not to forget that it was YOU that rescued them in the f**king war and they should stop being so ungrateful. You have some mates round who get drunk, sing offensive songs all night and one of them threatens to beat up the young lad hanging around downstairs “because he looked at me funny”.
Is that any closer?
Hmm. I see your analogy has
Hmm. I see your analogy has resorted to the racism trope – how utterly predictable on what is fast becoming Guardian.cc.
Also, you incorrectly postulate that the residents are all paying the same amount. Sorry, but you know it doesn’t (didn’t) work like that.
However you want to look at it, the EU authorities have exposed themselves as bullies at the way they have treated the UK for daring to even suggest leaving, and yet vast swathes of you would fall to your knees and beg to rejoin. It’s embarrassing.
Mark_1973_ wrote:
Oh please, dry your red white and blue tears. The racism was either proudly on show during the campaign (i.e. Nigel Farage’s ridiculous “breaking point” poster), or has been showcased before or since by pretty much every prominent leave supporter- our exalted fuckwit-in-chief being a prime exhibit.
The only appropriate divorce analogy for Brexit is that of a doughy, gammon faced man in his 50’s deciding he’s going to ditch the wife and kids cos he’s sick of the commitments he got himself into, still sees himself as a lad and a total catch, and therefore pictures himself swimming in hotly available 20 yr old nubile women. Then he gets divorced, reality kicks in, the world sees him as the washed up loser he is and he spends his nights washing his clothes in the sink and wanking to porn in his dimly lit bedsit.
Mathemagician wrote:
I take it back about analogies breaking down….
Mark_1973_ wrote:
???
Have you not noticed Johnson’s behaviour during the negotiation with the EU? Proposing one thing and denying the next day and acting all hysterical throughout the entire process? You don’t have to be a Guardian reader to have seen that embarrassing spectacle. What a farce! People have voted to leave the EU without knowing even what the EU was, thinking they were being anti-elite, while being governed (manoeuvred) by the most exclusive Boys Club you can imagine. And some of them are still going on about the nasty “bullies” in Bruxelles. Unbelievable!
Mark_1973_ wrote:
— Mark_1973_The EU negotiators have acted in the best interest of the member countries and the EU as an entity. It’s their job. Why would they do anything else?
If the UK was part of a group that had the stronger hand when dealing with a nation that wanted to go and play by their own rules you can bet your life savings that we would want the negotiators to use that strength to the maximise it for our benefit, not roll over and say “You can have all the benefits of membership without the obligations”. What utter fool would agree to that? So no, they’re not bullies.
The UK leaving the EU is the biggest shooting-self-in-foot exercise in living memory, possibly longer. We will live with the consequences, not just economic ones such as import and export tariffs, for a long time. But what about the benefits? No-one has yet come up with any. Perhaps if you read and watch something other than pro-Brexit media (particularly if you look at the perspective taken in other countries, including USA) you might see a different perspective.
I’m not a fan of the EU structure per se, but it is blindingly obvious to so many that being part of the largest trading block in the world is better than deciding you leave and then being outside, on your own. Schemes like CAP seem unwieldy and inflexible but a common set of rules across all nations does in fact have its benefits, as we are beginning to discover.
But the lies and misinformation spread by Leave.eu’s underhanded, illegal campaign worked because people liked what they heard and not enough of us cared about the things we may lose. Too many people just saw what they wanted – and I’m sorry if you don’t believe it but yes, race and immigration were definitely massive cards played by the Leave campaign. Sadly, lots of people liked that idea.
I’m not saying all Leave voters are racists but, just as not all Trump voters are racist, misogynist haters, but they have enabled and emboldened groups like the Proud Boys. In the same way, every Leave vote has certainly enabled and enboldened the malign, darker groups of far-right political players, whether you like that idea or not.
The bollocks spouted about ‘being ruled by Brussels’, of ‘unelected beaurocrats’ is also flag-waving, xenophobic bullshit stated by people who don’t know what they’re talking about. Beaurocrats exist everywhere; they are the essential public servants in all government departments, councils, NHS management teams and so on that make each country’s services tick. Those beaurocrats provide continuity and do their jobs while the politicians, parties and governments come and go.
Mark_1973_ wrote:
No, they followed the exiting processes that were agreed by all nation-states (including UK) that would swing into action when any member state elected to leave – section 52 and all that.
Spare us the Poor Little Britain routine. UK was hugely influential when part of EU, but insanely decided to jack that in, for… well, whatever reasons the brexiters find difficult to reveal.
The UK didn’t “dare to suggest leaving”. It left. No one asked it to, and no one stopped it, coincidently completely killing the “sovrinty” argument.
So Mark, maybe you can help me. Why is Brexit a good idea? How will my life, or my children’s lives be better now that we have left?
Mark_1973_ wrote:
Trouble is with analogies is that they always break down the closer you look. This one pretty much immediately……
Ok, ok, I get it. This site
Ok, ok, I get it. This site has way too many left-wing followers.
I’ll leave it here: Brexiteers won, Remainers lost. It’s you (Remainers) that are drying tears, no matter what the colour.
What have you won? The
What have you won? The recent changed to the market from Brexit have damaged the interests of bike consumers regardless of how they voted.
Mark_1973_ wrote:
Dude, we’ve all lost. The only winners are disaster capitalists who will be profiting from the chaos. You don’t sound like rees-mogg or farage to me. You’ve lost as much as the rest of us
Mark_1973_ wrote:
This isn’t just left / right wing politics, lots of businesses already getting hit pretty badly. Plenty of hard facts contradicting your blind rhetoric.
What did you win?
Nothing.
I still haven’t received my
I still haven’t received my NHS-Brexit cheque – are they delayed because of Covid? Has anyone else got theirs yet?
hawkinspeter wrote:
Rich, mark and John “1 post” Phipps have probably got theirs. Did you choose remain? That might be the problem….
And did anyone see this one?
And did anyone see this one?
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jan/23/brexit-hit-firms-advised-government-officials-set-up-shop-in-eu
Businesses like Daniel
Businesses like Daniel Lambert wines in Bridgend?
https://twitter.com/DanielLambert29/status/1352887380827643904
And today he has RT’d another wine trader saying that “The Brexit papers don’t care about the objective reality of leaving the EU. For some reason neither does the government.”
But I’m sure some people will think that, as successful businessmen who do cross-border international trade all day long, they don’t really know anything. Better to get your facts from a spiteful Daily Mail columnist and bigmouth wankers on an anti-vaxx, anti-mask Facebook group. Only then will you know the REAL truth.
I’m not going to read all
I’m not going to read all these comments, but let’s see how things are in 12 months – there’s much more disruption due to covid at the moment than brexit, once the processes and workflows have been sorted out and laws clarified I’m sure it will all bed in, no doubt while being hindered by the bores based in the non-country of Belgium cheered on by the people formally known as remainers.
I lived in Taiwan for a couple of years. As you probably know, Taiwan has traditionally been known as a net exporter of all kinds of high tech goods (and bikes), despite not being a member of whole multitude of global organisations or trading blocs due to pressure from mainland China… yet somehow their supermarkets were full of western and Japanese goods, and their exports apparently passed unfettered into their target markets, subject to whatever WTO rules they had to abide by.
These non-issues aren’t insurmountable at all, and are mainly the result of a lack of preparation and hastily drafted rules, but it’s so typical of the usual suspects to whinge and whine – like the sort of people at a football match who hope their team concedes because they don’t like the manager and the other fans. Pathetic!
Fingers crossed for wishful
Fingers crossed for wishful thinking over reality it is then.
Taiwan is very different from
Taiwan is very different from UK and not valid as a diversionary strategy.
Nigel Garrage wrote:
At that point you make it clear that you have no clue as to the discussion, and you have neither hope nor intention of finding out.
I wonder why you think that folk will take the time to read your rambling chatter………
Nigel Garrage wrote:
So … we had four and half years in which to make sure we were prepared, during which time many were pointing out exactly the problems that we are now experiencing, and somehow these “non-issues” are just going to magically right themselves.
Yes, the pandemic is making things worse … which is why so many people were calling for the government to bite the bullet and extend the transition until such time as it was not such a big issue. That way, they might have been focussed on both better handling the pandemic AND making better preparations for what Brexit was going to bring.
Forgive me for not sharing your blind faith.
You can also find multiple
You can also find multiple products from ‘Third Countries’ in UK supermarkets including perishable products.
This clearly indicates that many of the bureaucratic problems currently being faced by UK businesses are far from insurmountable.
That’s not to say that all businesses will be viable outside the EU but not all businesses would have been viable within the EU.
As you say, things will be far clearer soon.
Rich_cb wrote:
You either forgot or deliberately ignored my previous comment on this semi-alt.fact.
Yes, we still receive/send products from/to originating in third countries but that simple fact hides a complex network of logistical systems.
Most bikes and components are made in ‘third countries’ but if Brexit, coming on top of Covid-19, wasn’t a complete and deliberate fuck-up of the supply chain with continental Europe then this article wouldn’t even exist!
And if it really was such a beneficial thing to leave the EU (and, I can tell you for nothing, at this stage I so dearly wish we could see an upside to all this) then why do we have to wait 12 months, or however long it will be, and the government spend an estimated £200 billion of our money, so we can get back to something like ‘normal’?
We have established that
We have established that ‘Third Country’ supply of products is commonplace.
This isn’t an ‘alternative fact’. It’s just a fact.
I’m not disputing that the logistics underpinning this are complex.
My point is that there is no reason that such logistics cannot be implemented by UK companies.
This will take time to implement and there will be disruption in the interim.
The benefits of Brexit, in trade terms, will be in improved trade with countries outside the EU.
Trade deals take a long time to negotiate and implement.
The costs of Brexit, in trade terms, are therefore front loaded while the benefits will take time to establish.
This much should be obvious, making demands for instantaneous benefits seems fatuous at best
Nigel Garrage wrote:
Speak for yourself.
It’s a different story for anyone trading commodities, especially perishable food.
But of course it’s fine, we can go without certain types of food for 12 months, just so we can be outside the EU.
Is it any wonder that despite all the facts, persistent pro-Brexiters appear to be in complete denial, divorced from reality. Fucking jokers.
Simon E wrote:
Unfortunately anecdotal does
Unfortunately anecdotal does not equal fact…
Class, If only the HMRC came
Class, If only the HMRC came here, to the road.cc ccomments section to solve the brexit issue- there would have been no issues!
Come on Plumbers and PE teachers, solve Cv19 whoile you are here and OUTRAGED at another polar opinion
Freddy56 wrote:
Quite, how dare plumbers or PE teachers have an opinion on things that affect them, and wish to debate it with others who may have similar or differing opinions. Bastards….
Freddy56 wrote:
Oh look, yet another clueless fuckwit.
If you think you’re so fucking clever then feel free roll up your fucking sleeves and get stuck in – there’s MOUNTAINS of extra paperwork to deal with and we could do with some extra people. It’ll be unpaid, but since you voted for it I’m sure you won’t mind.
Mastercard to push up fees
Mastercard to push up fees for UK purchases from EU
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55796426
I’d better get a VISA card…
And more great news for those
And more great news for those of us living in the EU: Stolen Goat today send EU customers an email apologising that they won’t be sending goods to EU customers for the forseeable future. They said that enough EU customers have refused the goods on delivery due to the fees charged that they (Stolen Goat) are paying twice and it’s just not economical.
I also had a response to an email to Sonder enquiring about a Camino frameset. They told me that due to the financial and administrative burden they will no longer be selling frame-only bikes to EU customers.
Brexit: the gift that keeps on
givingtaking away.Ordered the new diamond front
Ordered the new diamond front rack from Allygn.de last week (Wed 20th Jan).
https://www.allygn.de/products/diamond-rack-coming-soon
Arrived today (25th so 3.5 working days later) no form to fill in, no extra taxes, no problems.
Can’t help but think some people are making a big deal out of Brexit when it really isn’t….queue the abuse from the anti-Brexit people
Unfortunately anecdotal does
Unfortunately anecdotal does not equal fact.
don simon fbpe wrote:
Mark_1973_ wrote:
That pretty much sums up the intellectual level of the average Brexiteer.
Does this paper work not
Does this paperwork not “factually” exist because it doesn’t support your view?
Could be photo-shopped
Could be photo-shopped
It didn’t at the “time” of
It didn’t at the “time” of you original post!
If it’s actually manufactured
If it’s actually manufactured in the UK or EU then there will be no issues. Looking at that rack it seems it’s made in the EU hence the ease of purchase.
It’s the products manufactured outside the EU/UK that then have to cross borders more than once that cause problems.
Nothing that’s insurmountable of course.
Rich_cb wrote:
That is simply not true. Any online orders coming from EU manufacturers to UK customers should now have the relevant rate of UK VAT applied and the seller should be registered with HMRC for remittance of same. Additionally any orders over £135 also attract import duty between 0% and 20% depending on the type of item. At present many EU retailers are simply ignoring this requirement and sending out goods as per pre-Jan 1st regulations (many others have looked at the paperwork and are simply refusing to ship to the UK); if you’re lucky they go through on the nod, as has obviously happened in this instance, if you’re not you can be faced with a demand for VAT, import duty and courier service charges on the doorstep before being given your item.
These are facts, by the way, but feel free to put ROFL emojis in your response if it makes you feel better.
Maybe you’re right and Mason
Maybe you’re right and Mason Cycles are running some elaborate smuggling enterprise.
https://masoncycles.cc/blog/information-for-our-eu-customers
Or maybe there’s an alternative explanation.
If the product meets ‘Rules of Origin’ requirements there are no tariffs to pay.
You pay no VAT in the country you buy from as exports are zero rated for VAT, you then pay VAT on import at local rates.
Companies can manage this themselves if they choose to or send it without VAT paid and let the customer/courier sort it out.
Like I said not a problem.
Rich_cb wrote:
So in other words if you order goods from the EU that were previously subject to zero import duty or UK VAT, you can now be obliged to pay both on the doorstep before being handed your goods, along with admin fees for the courier. So, for example, a £200 coat bought from a German website (which would previously have cost the UK buyer £200) could attract 12% or £24 customs duty. VAT at 20% is then applied to the total of £224, giving a VAT bill of £44.80. Once the courier has added its £11.50 admin fee, the UK consumer must pay £80.30 to the courier on the doorstep before it will hand over the item – adding around 40% to the coat’s price. Strange definition of “not a problem” you have there.
Rendel Harris wrote:
So in other words if you order goods from the EU that were previously subject to zero import duty or UK VAT, you can now be obliged to pay both on the doorstep before being handed your goods, along with admin fees for the courier. So, for example, for example, a £200 coat bought from a German website (which would previously have cost the UK buyer £200) could attract 12% or £24 customs duty. VAT at 20% is then applied to the total of £224, giving a VAT bill of £44.80. Once the courier has added its £11.50 admin fee, the UK consumer must pay £80.30 to the courier on the doorstep before it will hand over the item – adding around 40% to the coat’s price. Strange definition of “not a problem” you have there.— Rich_cb
This of course is a very personal thing and really should read “not a problem for me (and fuck the rest of you!)”, but only works until it does become a problem for “me”. The British fishing industry would support this viewpoint.
You seem to be struggling to
You seem to be struggling to understand my original post.
If you buy a product that is manufactured in the EU you will not pay any tariff or customs duty.
That is the specific situation I was referring to. That is the specific situation applicable to the rack in question.
Previously you would have paid VAT at the point of purchase so would have paid VAT in the country you purchased from.
So the current situation is zero import duty and UK VAT whereas the previous situation was zero import duty and VAT at the rate of the country you bought it from.
The EU are brining in the exact same system as the UK for VAT later this year (they have delayed the original implementation date of 01/01/21).
If the coat is manufactured outside the EU/UK then yes you will now have to pay additional customs duties if the product is supplied from the EU.
You do not necessarily have to pay anything to the courier if the company sorts the duties out for you.
Canyon are doing just that.
https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/customer-service/brexit-information.html
Rich_cb wrote:
And you are desperately cherrypicking. Yes that rack in question was made in the EU, so no tariff. To qualify for zero tariffs, goods must contain a high percentage of parts or value-added that “originates” in the EU or the U.K. The main idea is that a product whose value was largely created in China, for example, cannot simply be re-exported from the U.K. into the EU without a tariff.
For cyclists that means most bikes, generally having groupsets and frames made in the Far East, will be subject to tarriffs, even if they’re assembled in Italy and sold under the aegis of an Italian brand. This was not the case previously.
All bikes and groupsets made
All bikes and groupsets made outside the EU were previously subject to tariffs. This has not changed.
Cyclists have been paying 14% tariffs on non-EU frames for decades. This is essentially a tax as there is no large scale frame manufacturing to protect.
The only thing that has changed is for products imported to the EU and then re-exported to the UK. Those products now attract tariffs twice.
Most major brands import finished products direct to the UK so will be unaffected. Canyon are the most notable exception.
If you’re buying an EU manufactured product there should be minimal difference post Brexit. Most companies should start sorting out the VAT themselves (as Canyon are already doing) especially once the entire EU shifts to the same system later this year.
If you’re buying a non-EU manufactured product then you need to find a supplier who imports directly to the UK to avoid the double tariff.
FYI. Replying to a post about an EU manufactured rack with information about the tariff rates for EU made products is clearly not cherry picking.
Rich_cb wrote:
If some of us hadn’t been so f***ing stupid as to want to leave, there wouldn’t be any of these problems to be surmounted. There can be no argument with that!
This comments thread is at
This comments thread is at 149 posts (at point of my posting this comment) and yet nobody’s even mentioned helmets!
I’m glad that we are so adaptable…
What is the tariff rate on
What is the tariff rate on helmets now?
Whatever it is it’ll be worth paying because they save so many lives.