5 ms·
Why would imports of vegetables be more expensive? The EU doesn't have export tariffs.
by saddlerustle 6y ago
Why would imports of vegetables be more expensive? The EU doesn't have export tariffs.
- DanBC 6y agoThe UK has import duties. https://www.gov.uk/check-tariffs-1-january-2021 https://www.gov.uk/check-tariffs-1-january-2021
- Someone1234 6y agoWhich it could choose to zero rate if it stabilized food prices.
- scott_w 6y agoWhich would have the knock-on effect of making EU food competitive in the UK but UK food non-competitive in the EU. Basically, making UK food industries less competitive.
- rwmj 6y agoThat's before you get to WTO MFN which would mean we would have to reduce tariffs to zero not just for the EU but for the whole of the world, so our farmers would be competing against low wages everywhere. It would devastate our farmers in short order.
- scott_w 6y agoYeah, I thought about this but I honestly don't know enough about how it works e.g. are countries allowed to bar food from coming into a country for not meeting safety standards even though they've set global tariffs to 0? My gut says "yes" which is why I decided to shy away from that part.
- rwmj 6y agoYes, those are the famous NTBs (non-tariff barriers). Since tariffs, apart from agriculture, are generally very low nowadays a lot of aim of free trade agreements is about reducing NTBs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-tariff_barriers_to_trade https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-tariff_barriers_to_trade
- kyriakos 6y agothat would be against what brexit was voted for. the idea at least the one politicians were selling was that it would help improve local production by making EU products less competitive.
- Someone 6y agoGiven the stance of the UK government, customs procedures likely will take longer and/or get more expensive next year. It’s unlikely none of that cost will end up at consumers.