crazy import taxes....

Belgiumbarry

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i wanted a belt for the 850i from the Gates KxxxxxxRPM series... which are advertised to be 3 times stronger then common ones.
My supercharged 850 likes to shred belts....
But not available in Europe !

So i bought one at RockAuto.com in the US.... after a search , many don't ship to Belgium, others were out of stock....

Belt 35.05 €
shipment 14.74 €
and finally today :
Import tax 28.04 € !!!

lucky it wasn't a expensive part.... o_O
 

craterface

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That makes me very angry. The US doesn't tax imported parts from Europe at 80%. What the heck? How can US businesses compete fairly?
 

CSteve

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Tariff Wars. Always a popular issue with politicians. They rarely work, backfire often, and have so many unintended consequences. And yet they are always rearing their ugly heads.

And you know who pays in the end. Actually screwed in the end!
 

JFENG

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Tariff Wars. Always a popular issue with politicians. They rarely work
Sorry to be political but ... tariffs can be very effective if high enough and persistent over the lifecycle of planning global manufacturing and supply chain footprint.

A 2-3 year tariff is generally too short to change the global supply chain of a major corporation.

However, if high tariffs are used as longer term market protections, many corporations will adjust to compensate, when the protected markets are big enough. I have been involved in decisions to move mfg and supply chain into and out of the USA (and INTO PROTECTED markets), and semi-permanent tariffs have always been a primary factor in those decisions.

John
 

Gary Knox

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Barry,

Congrats on the Kevlar belt. I did some of the research and development on Kevlar fabric for reinforcement of rubber products. It was quite difficult to get the Kevlar to bond to the rubber (as it had been to get polyester and rubber to bond). Interesting times back in the early/mid 70's. As you know from the 928 guys, it is a fabulous belt and has been available from Gates for that car for about 10-15 years.

One of the most interesting and earliest applications for Kevlar reinforcement of rubber was for a small heater hose in the smaller bodied Buick cars of the mid 70's. That $1 hose failed early and frequently when reinforced with the usual fabric - rayon. The engine had to be removed to replace the hose, and they were failing while the cars were still under warranty. I've often wondered how much money the Kevlar hose saved General Motors!

Another change in hose reinforcement that has been very helpful to us gearheads is the hose for transferring hot coolant from the engine to the radiator (top hose). Back in the 50's to 70's as engine operating temperatures got higher, that hose would bulge at the engine connection within a couple of years (and ultimately rupture) and need replacing. Most of those hoses are now reinforced with Kevlar, and literally may never need replacing for the life of the car. If you cut a hose and see yellow fiber it is Kevlar reinforced.

Gary
 
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Nicad

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The Montreal Olympic Stadium (A Fiasco) was to have a Kevlar roof. Too bad no one figured to assess how it fared when exposed to UV light. The whole Olympics were a corrupt Boondoggle from the first shovel hitting the ground.
 
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