Tariffs on Books

Will tarif's affect your book buying habits?

  • Yes

  • No

  • Waiting to see

  • Not buying until the dust settles

Results are only viewable after voting.
Status
Not open for further replies.
Foo Fighter

Foo Fighter

Cum adolescunt hominem verum esse volo.
Senior Member
Joined
19 July 2016
Messages
4,258
Reaction score
3,440
Well, we are where we are regadless of write or wrong iif you will pardon the pun.

Are we going to be affecte with the books we buy now?

Will books attract a significant additional cast?

Will creative ordering be enough to mitigate any additonal costs?

As Pratchett would say "We do indeed, live in interesting times".
 
Not saying I wish for it.

As an aside, will companies across europe generall increase prices or, just in the USA via responsive tarif's?
 
Too soon to draw any conclusions. April 1st saw the usual raft of new book announcements at Amazon U.S.

I work for a book publishing company by the way. We are watching this.
 
Given the past several years trying to get books shipped from the UK, EU, etc., I'd have to say, How much worse can it get?

Everything I've gotten from the UK comes with a ream of paperwork the UK government requires and the fees are damn near the cost of the book oftentimes. The cost and annoyance of that has to be insane. Germany is no better. France wasn't too bad by comparison. And the shipping times are on the order of months, not weeks.

One seller I was trying to get a book from in Australia absolutely refused to sell because they didn't want to ship the book to the US. I don't know if that was because I am a US buyer, or due to some government paperwork issue, but either way, it isn't helpful.
 
I have bought books from Germany. They arrive quickly and in good condition. On Amazon sites outside the U.S., I have seen notices that read: "This item cannot be shipped to your location." At which point I look for alternative sales outlets.

As a member of a book business team, hysteria doesn't matter. Once the numbers are in, we will act. That is how any competent business operation is run.

Postage costs to Canada and the UK are near the price of the books ordered. That is the fault of the U.S. Postal Service which ended the less expensive Surface Mail in 2007.
 
edwest4 said:
I have bought books from Germany. They arrive quickly and in good condition. On Amazon sites outside the U.S., I have seen notices that read: "This item cannot be shipped to your location." At which point I look for alternative sales outlets.

As a member of a book business team, hysteria doesn't matter. Once the numbers are in, we will act. That is how any competent business operation is run.

Postage costs to Canada and the UK are near the price of the books ordered. That is the fault of the U.S. Postal Service which ended the less expensive Surface Mail in 2007.
Click to expand...
The problem of high postage rates do not lie with airmail. Just calculate the actual costs of say 2 kg book parcel from US to Europe with optimal logistics (via air).
 
Pasoleati said:
The problem of high postage rates do not lie with airmail. Just calculate the actual costs of say 2 kg book parcel from US to Europe with optimal logistics (via air).
Click to expand...

That is false. In the United States, the U.S. Postal Service ended Surface Mail. We could send pounds of books to Australia for very little money. It took four to six weeks, which was fine for our customers. When Surface Mail ended, we lost 99% of our foreign customers overnight. Around the same time, ebook readers began to appear everywhere. I read they were a popular Christmas gift in the UK, but most stayed in their boxes.
 
Last edited:
My book buying habits are financed by Social Security Disability income which varies from right at the poverty level to below the poverty level.
And since our little county seat farm burg doesn't have a bookstore that sells the kinds of books I want,
(there is Walmart and downtown a brand new very small book store and coffee shop which only appears to sell bestseller novels)
I buy books via the internet from several sources, specific hobby retailers and Amazon with occasional Barnes & Noble.
Yes, price is a factor.
So, by definition price changes are a factor.
Not always a deciding factor, but definitely within sight of always.
 
Terrifs will make books a bit more expensive, which doesn't really matter to me, because I dont read ten books a day. A much bigger threat is the Eu rule EUDR – EU 2023/1115 which will make printing and importing books, at least those in small numbers, unprofitable because of an hughe burocratic effort.

Could be a strategy, printed books are much harder to update to the contemporary ideology...
 
Well for the most part, in the current environment, the question only applies to those in the USA as it will be buyers there paying said tariffs. Those and any in countries doing retaliatory tarrifs.
 
GTX said:
Well for the most part, in the current environment, the question only applies to those in the USA as it will be buyers there paying said tariffs. Those and any in countries doing retaliatory tarrifs.
Click to expand...
I take it you don't realize the US tariffs ARE retaliatory in nature? AFAIK we're only imposing tariffs on countries that have had tariffs on us for decades. You take yours off, we take ours off.
 
Nothing to do with tariffs imposed on US goods by other nations.
www.bbc.com

How were Donald Trump's tariffs calculated?

Analysts have questioned claims that new tariffs are reciprocal and based on those charged against the US.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
take the trade deficit for the US in goods with a particular country, divide that by the total goods imports from that country and then divide that number by two.

A trade deficit occurs when a country buys (imports) more physical products from other countries than it sells (exports) to them.
[...]
For example, the US buys more goods from China than it sells to them - there is a goods deficit of $295bn. The total amount of goods it buys from China is $440bn.

Dividing 295 by 440 gets you to 67% and you divide that by two and round up. Therefore the tariff imposed on China is 34%.
Click to expand...
Tariffs imposed by the targeted nation on US goods are not involved in this calculation.
Physical goods are counted, services are not counted. Banking, internet services ...
 
Last edited:
A little clarity please.

The media in the U.S. is biased. Biased against the current President. Accuracy is not included.

There is a trade deficit in the U.S. at over a trillion dollars. The United States will no longer subsidize foreign economies. Period.

Specific to books. It matters where they are printed. If China, then they will have an export tariff added by China. Period. If they are printed in other countries, one would have to look at that specific country and the specific rules about importing books from that country.

As President Trump stated, all of those countries have contacted him. All of those countries are willing to do anything to have the tariffs delayed or reduced or eliminated. Only Vietnam has said they would drop their tariffs to zero. So far, that's it. But it is clear that other deals could be made. I work for a book publishing company. We estimate it will be at least 7 more days before any deals are put forward and acceptance by the U.S. will depend on how good their offer is. If the offer from Vietnam is accepted, then every billionaire will do their printing there. Taking away jobs from China.
 
No, I won't change anything. My interests are usually a bit more targeted so if a book appears on a topic I'm interested in (Russian/Chinese aviation, LO aircraft, Blackbirds, nuclear weapons, giant boats with 18 inch guns, etc.) I'm going to buy it anyway. Since I'm not after every last title that appears on, say, WWII aviation, this tends to keep things under control. If I end up having to pay a bit more now, whatever. I'll buy what I want and be fine with it. I'd rather pay a bit more and keep supporting the authors/publishers that produce the things I like to read than do without.

My only fear is that my biblio-luddite ass is going to be negatively affected by publishers or authors realizing it's way easier/cheaper to distribute e-books rather than printed copies. That would annoy me greatly as I have no time for such new fangled nonsense, preferring my printed books. Get off my lawn.
 
Hanse said:
I take it you don't realize the US tariffs ARE retaliatory in nature? AFAIK we're only imposing tariffs on countries that have had tariffs on us for decades. You take yours off, we take ours off.
Click to expand...
Not true, everyone (except Russia) got hit by at least a 10% tariff, even countries where we had a positive trade balance AND they had no tariffs (ie Australia) or countries where no trade existed at all (uninhabited islands).
 
edwest4 said:
The media in the U.S. is biased. Biased against the current President. Accuracy is not included.
Click to expand...
I quoted the BBC, with the same conclusion as reached by Axios.
edwest4 said:
There is a trade deficit in the U.S. at over a trillion dollars.
Click to expand...
Because the US has been trading on credit for decades - spending more than it earned. Result: trade deficit. Ameliorated by non-US buys of US bonds. Foreigners lending the US money to continue spending beyond its means.
 
edwest4 said:
Pure crap. The other party, including certain key individuals, were advocating for the same thing during the Obama administration. These people included Chuck Schumer and Bernie Sanders.
Click to expand...
Doesn´t matter who advocated it. Not adopted on this scale by other US administrations since Herbert Hoover.
edwest4 said:
As I wrote, the media is no longer interested in accuracy.
Click to expand...
Just out of curiosity, where do YOU get your information?
 
edwest4 said:
Pure crap. The other party, including certain key individuals, were advocating for the same thing during the Obama administration. These people included Chuck Schumer and Bernie Sanders. As I wrote, the media is no longer interested in accuracy.
Click to expand...
Based on your reply I have to assume you didn't even open the link, but the article is not about whether the tariffs make sense, but whether the underlying published formula makes sense.
 
Arjen said:
I quoted the BBC, with the same conclusion as reached by Axios.

Because the US has been trading on credit for decades - spending more than it earned. Result: trade deficit. Ameliorated by non-US buys of US bonds. Foreigners lending the US money to continue spending beyond its means.
Click to expand...

Respectfully, none of this is true. The media in the U.S. and UK is heavily biased against the current administration. That is a fact. They consistently misquote the President and play dumb. They also promote scandals which are not scandals. The goal is to create fear and confusion. For example, a reporter made a statement to Secretary of State Rubio. His response, "That is completely false."

Perhaps you are confusing Cold War trade deficits. These had the benefit of supporting Western countries during the time period. The Cold War is over. No more subsidies.

Meanwhile, in the UK, the British Prime Minster thinks he has some leverage. He does not.
 
Arjen said:
Doesn´t matter who advocated it. Not adopted on this scale by other US administrations since Herbert Hoover.

Just out of curiosity, where do YOU get your information?
Click to expand...

I get my information directly from televised interviews with the President. His answers are clear and concise. I also see press releases at whitehouse.gov

My conclusions about the media are clearly supported by White House Press Briefings led by Karoline Leavitt. Reporters ask stupid questions that support the false media narrative. And if they don't get an answer they like, they ask again. One such reporter was specifically told that her follow-up question would not get a response.

The rules of journalism demand facts and honesty. What I am seeing is false narratives supported by false and misleading information.
 
martinbayer said:
Based on your reply I have to assume you didn't even open the link, but the article is not about whether the tariffs make sense, but whether the underlying published formula makes sense.
Click to expand...

Assuming is always bad. This article is nothing more than a continuation of a false narrative.
 
edwest4 said:
For example, a reporter made a statement to Secretary of State Rubio. His response, "That is completely false."
Click to expand...
Whenever a politician opens his mouth, my rule of thumb is to assume he is lying. Applies for all the politicians in the world, and for all spectrum, far left to far right. If it is a politician of a more 'potent' the country, the rule applies twice.

edwest4 said:
Perhaps you are confusing Cold War trade deficits. These had the benefit of supporting Western countries during the time period. The Cold War is over. No more subsidies.
Click to expand...
Cold war ended 35 (thirty five) years ago. It took 15 years for Germany and Japan, that were bombed into the Middle Ages, to rebuild and start enriching all of their people, from CEOs to the coal stokers and street swipers.
US governments - both from Democratic and Republican parties - managed to rack up trilions of debt in the last decades, while still having people to pay thousands of USD for birthing a baby or calling an ambulance.
 
What about US tariffs on books from US publishers, but printed somewhere else?
 
Arjen said:
What about US tariffs on books from US publishers, but printed somewhere else?
Click to expand...

That has not yet been sorted. Regarding the company I work for, there may be price adjustments for books printed in China that are sold by us. We are a U.S. based book publisher.
 
I'm expecting 'letter post' air-mail price from UK to USA to soar.

Already costs me thrice a nice 'get well' card's price to post.
If budget card, nearer x10.

As I cannot find any polite words to better describe TrumPUTIN's economics, RFK Jr's purblind medical ignorance, Musk's maladministrative mayhem etc etc, I won't even try.

D'uh, I'm just amazed a 'Flat Earther' has not been put in charge of NASA, and/or a 'Young Earther' in charge of USGS-- Yet.
:rolleyes: :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
edwest4 said:
That has not yet been sorted. Regarding the company I work for, there may be price adjustments for books printed in China that are sold by us. We are a U.S. based book publisher
Click to expand...

Isn't that the point of tariffs? To cause price adjustments that make offshored production less competitive against local production?

Presumably printing was offshored to China to reduce costs and increase margins, even though the USA is self-sufficient in paper production and actually produces a surplus. So a tariff acts as a equaliser to eliminate the ( corporate ) advantage of offshoring to areas of lower production costs.
 
tomo pauk said:
US governments - both from Democratic and Republican parties - managed to rack up trilions of debt in the last decades, while still having people to pay thousands of USD for birthing a baby or calling an ambulance.
Click to expand...
This might technically get in to the realm of off-topic,
it does however directly connect with the content written there,

At this point in my life my income is provided by that US Federal Government, Social Security Disability,
(and has been for a while after my health crashed bigtime and my working days were forced to end)

at a current monthly amount which is something like $4, Four Dollars, above poverty level monthly income for a household of 1 according to income levels designated by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

From that poverty level monthly income provided by the US Federal Government that same US Federal Government deducts a $175 premium for US Federal Government medical insurance named Medicare.
Thereby reducing my "take home pay" to $171 per month below the Federal government designated poverty level
AND
I still have medical copays, which have run anywhere from $11 to $320 and usually fall in the $90 range.
Last time I needed an ambulance was pre-pandemic,
and yeah, something like $1200 copay for it.

The US Federal Government giveth and the US Federal Government taketh away.
Blessed be the US Federal Government.
 
I'm not going to allow anyone or anything deprive me of desire to read, learn and acquire wisdom, on general principle. No matter the cost. Even if it comes down to the Bible becoming the only free media. Insight is key to success and self-respect.
 
T. A. Gardner said:
Everything I've gotten from the UK comes with a ream of paperwork the UK government requires and the fees are damn near the cost of the book oftentimes.
Click to expand...
Could be worse, you could be trying to import to the UK from the US and having to pay US postal rates! (Mind you, according to the tracking info the last package I ordered from the States went up and down the East Coast twice before crossing the Atlantic five times, so I guess I got my money's worth on a per mile basis).
 
southwestforests said:
This might technically get in to the realm of off-topic,
it does however directly connect with the content written there,

At this point in my life my income is provided by that US Federal Government, Social Security Disability,
(and has been for a while after my health crashed bigtime and my working days were forced to end)

at a current monthly amount which is something like $4, Four Dollars, above poverty level monthly income for a household of 1 according to income levels designated by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

From that poverty level monthly income provided by the US Federal Government that same US Federal Government deducts a $175 premium for US Federal Government medical insurance named Medicare.
Thereby reducing my "take home pay" to $171 per month below the Federal government designated poverty level
AND
I still have medical copays, which have run anywhere from $11 to $320 and usually fall in the $90 range.
Last time I needed an ambulance was pre-pandemic,
and yeah, something like $1200 copay for it.

The US Federal Government giveth and the US Federal Government taketh away.
Blessed be the US Federal Government.
Click to expand...

My brother is on SSDI. I have no idea what he gets, but it isn't much. I know he has Medicaid assistance to take care of co-pays. I believe you can do this at your levels of your monthly insurance payment. He has epilepsy and had to take an ambulance ride last year, and I asked him about the costs and he said he never saw a bill. Good luck to you :)
 
Kiltonge said:
Isn't that the point of tariffs? To cause price adjustments that make offshored production less competitive against local production?

Presumably printing was offshored to China to reduce costs and increase margins, even though the USA is self-sufficient in paper production and actually produces a surplus.
Click to expand...

The U.S. is self-sufficient in paper production? Where did you hear that? The bulk of that paper production is in package board and corrugated stock used for boxes. "Around 409 million metric tons of paper are produced and consumed each year. 58% of paper is globally used for packaging." So that cereal box or board game falls into that category. This also includes diapers and tissue paper.

Canada was where cheap paper for printing was found. Most comic books were printed in Canada. That will likely continue, unless billionaires find a cheaper alternative.

The point of tariffs is this: If the U.S. places a 2.5% tariff on an imported item, but another country places a 10% tariff to import the same item, the U.S. will no longer pay the difference.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom