EBMA files an anti dumping complaint on chinese e-bikes.

mike killay

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 17, 2011
3,012
1,629
So, how is the soft border in Ireland going to work?
The UK will probably not apply Anti dumping tariffs, so the Chinese will send all their goods to Belfast docks, they will then cross the soft border into the EU?
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,219
30,617
So, how is the soft border in Ireland going to work?
The UK will probably not apply Anti dumping tariffs, so the Chinese will send all their goods to Belfast docks, they will then cross the soft border into the EU?
I imagine it will be more flexible than soft. Trying to cross with bulk illicit goods intercepted but individual transfers not bothered with.
.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: Wisper Bikes

mike killay

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 17, 2011
3,012
1,629
I imagine it will be more flexible than soft. Trying to cross with bulk illicit goods intercepted but individual transfers not bothered with.
.
My main point is that it will be the EU not the UK that will be bothered about what is crossing the border.
As far as I can see, our only concern will be immigrants, guns, explosives, drugs etc.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: flecc
My main point is that it will be the EU not the UK that will be bothered about what is crossing the border.
As far as I can see, our only concern will be immigrants, guns, explosives, drugs etc.
either way, there will need to be a border won't there. Which isn't something that anyone seems to be able to accept. It'll therefore bring the Brexit think crashing down at some point.
 

mike killay

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 17, 2011
3,012
1,629
either way, there will need to be a border won't there. Which isn't something that anyone seems to be able to accept. It'll therefore bring the Brexit think crashing down at some point.
I don't see why it should. As I have said, we are not terribly concerned as to what comes in, so a soft border will do fine.
On the other hand, I guess that the EU will become concerned as goods subject EU Anti Dumping tariffs etc. come into the EU from the UK.
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,219
30,617
I don't see why it should. As I have said, we are not terribly concerned as to what comes in, so a soft border will do fine.
On the other hand, I guess that the EU will become concerned as goods subject EU Anti Dumping tariffs etc. come into the EU from the UK.
Solving a problem by pretending it doesn't exist never works, and that in essence is what has been done here.
.
 
I don't see why it should. As I have said, we are not terribly concerned as to what comes in, so a soft border will do fine.
On the other hand, I guess that the EU will become concerned as goods subject EU Anti Dumping tariffs etc. come into the EU from the UK.
A border is a 2 way thing. Its not about what you / we might or might not want. If we decide to not set up the:


If there is a single difference to the rules, just a single one. One side or the other is going to want / need a border.

First comment this morning on a post I made from a person pretty high up in the bike industry.

"No border in Ireland though (
) I say we set up a free movement, smuggling racket from the EU, through ROI, over the border into NI then onto the Sea-cat to Stranraer & Liverpool. Then we can disseminate tariff free goods to the masses. There is literally nothing that can go wrong here?"

So we either a) we stay in single market / customs union, or 2) we copy it exactly forever more, or c) we're going to need a border. There isn't an option 4) is there ?
 

anotherkiwi

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 26, 2015
7,845
5,786
The European Union
A border is a 2 way thing. Its not about what you / we might or might not want. If we decide to not set up the:


If there is a single difference to the rules, just a single one. One side or the other is going to want / need a border.

First comment this morning on a post I made from a person pretty high up in the bike industry.

"No border in Ireland though (
) I say we set up a free movement, smuggling racket from the EU, through ROI, over the border into NI then onto the Sea-cat to Stranraer & Liverpool. Then we can disseminate tariff free goods to the masses. There is literally nothing that can go wrong here?"

So we either a) we stay in single market / customs union, or 2) we copy it exactly forever more, or c) we're going to need a border. There isn't an option 4) is there ?
4) Donald Trump's fat fast food finger over the big red button - borders become meaningless...
 

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
20,390
16,884
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
So we either a) we stay in single market / customs union, or 2) we copy it exactly forever more, or c) we're going to need a border. There isn't an option 4) is there ?
yes, there is. You seem to treat regulatory alignment like statutory compliance. Regulatory alignment only sets up the same goal posts, there is no legal enforcement.
 

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
20,390
16,884
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
ok, so what is this 4th option you think exits. Try and write it down in a simple few sentences so I can get my expert to look at it.
first, you need to define what we mean by border control. If it's people, the likely situation is all EU citizens won't need a visa, so we only need to do passport check when buying a ticket for the sea crossings. If its goods, then we don't need to check on 99% of goods that have zero difference in duty, only goods that attract different duty levies like cigarettes and alcohol and other goods that attract different VAT rates. That situation is already tolerated at the moment for personal use. There will eventually be divergence, such as we may import cheap steel from China without dumping levy and some will try to smuggle it across to the ROI. That's where the fraud people will have to deal with. It's not any different than now. We have current framework with law and order, chasing after the criminals crossing the border to evade the local police, so we would have to set up similar cooperation to go after fraudsters.
 
first, you need to define what we mean by border control. If it's people, the likely situation is all EU citizens won't need a visa, so we only need to do passport check when buying a ticket for the sea crossings. If its goods, then we don't need to check on 99% of goods that have zero difference in duty, only goods that attract different duty levies like cigarettes and alcohol and other goods that attract different VAT rates. That situation is already tolerated at the moment for personal use. There will eventually be divergence, such as we may import cheap steel from China without dumping levy and some will try to smuggle it across to the ROI. That's where the fraud people will have to deal with. It's not any different than now. We have current framework with law and order, chasing after the criminals crossing the border to evade the local police, so we would have to set up similar cooperation to go after fraudsters.
No, I want you to define how you envisage it being.

between the ROI and NI.

What do you see being there?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wisper Bikes

Kudoscycles

Official Trade Member
Apr 15, 2011
5,566
5,048
www.kudoscycles.com
So, how is the soft border in Ireland going to work?
The UK will probably not apply Anti dumping tariffs, so the Chinese will send all their goods to Belfast docks, they will then cross the soft border into the EU?
Which is exactly why Ireland/EU wont easily give us a free trade deal....they are worried that the UK/NI becomes the open entry into the EU.
If we take bicycles(not e-bikes),they already have a 48%ADT plus 6% duty...54% total tariff. If Theresa May scraps all import duties into the UK,then the bike shop in the UK/NI can import bicycles 54% cheaper than the shop in the 27 EU countries. Similarly textiles from India,Lamb from New Zealand....this is why Rees-Mogg is saying that clothes and food could be so much cheaper.
But,I think the EU will insist that we continue with these tariffs if we want a trade deal and May may agree...she could pocket all the duties and reason that she is protecting our textile producers,cycle assemblers,sheep farmers etc....the border problem goes away.
We may be free to go off and do trade deals with the rest of the world but only if we have 'alignment with the EU'....I dont think that is what Liam Fox intended.
KudosDave
 
  • Agree
Reactions: Wisper Bikes

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
20,390
16,884
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
let's just wait and see.
Voters may come to a different view after the transition period.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: flecc

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,219
30,617
There's a big problem with the border solution that's been reached.

A hard border with the strict rules that accompany that tend to be complied with, since even the thickest can see that variation is criminality.

A more flexible setup which intrinsically allows deviation engenders a feeling that bending the already flexible rules isn't serious. That in turn encourages corruption when poorly paid border officials are presented with temptation and feel letting the odd ones through for a consideration isn't serious.

That won't allow 40' containers freely across, but vans and box trucks from 1 to 10 tonnes capacity can shift huge amounts in total, leading inevitably to crackdown and an effectively much harder border.
.
 
Last edited:

mike killay

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 17, 2011
3,012
1,629
My best guess is that in the traditional British way we will muddle our way through this.
We keep looking at Brexit plus one day, yet as the years continue to roll on there will be constant changes to cope with whatever the situation is that presents itself.