US imposes 300% import tariff on Bombardier

[blitzkreig]

http://www.theweek.co.uk/trade/88867...-on-bombardier

“This hypocrisy is appalling” the spokesperson added, “and it should be deeply troubling to any importer of large, complex, and highly engineered products.”

could the Spyder be next ... ?

[wyliec]

http://www.theweek.co.uk/trade/88867...-on-bombardier

“This hypocrisy is appalling” the spokesperson added, “and it should be deeply troubling to any importer of large, complex, and highly engineered products.”

could the Spyder be next ... ?

I don't think it's falling yet!

[JerryB]

Hi blitzkreig,

Re: US imposes 300% import tariff on Bombardier

It will be interesting to hear how loud Boeing squeals when the Canadians do the same.

Jerry Baumchen

[UtahPete]

http://www.theweek.co.uk/trade/88867...-on-bombardier

“This hypocrisy is appalling” the spokesperson added, “and it should be deeply troubling to any importer of large, complex, and highly engineered products.”

could the Spyder be next ... ?

Only it if competes with an American manufacturer with political influence ..... oh boy...

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Has anybody produced facts showing how much Bombardier is being subsidized by the Canadian and Irish governments? And then let's see how much Boeing is being supported by the US and local Gov'ts via direct and indirect subsidies, like tax breaks.

Remember, tariffs on large imported motorcycles put in place by the Reagan administration is what saved HD.

[UtahPete]

Has anybody produced facts showing how much Bombardier is being subsidized by the Canadian and Irish governments? And then let's see how much Boeing is being supported by the US and local Gov'ts via direct and indirect subsidies, like tax breaks. Remember, tariffs on large imported motorcycles put in place by the Reagan administration is what saved HD.

So much for free market advocacy. NAFTA is on the chopping block and China is stepping into the void we left in Asia. If this is what fiscal conservatism and free market capitalism has become we're doomed.

[PaladinLV]

How about this.
Start making those engines in the US and there will be NO TARIFF!

BTW
Bombardier is not the ONLY manufacturer that pays to play in the US without manufacturing in the US, so before getting your pantyhose all tied up in a knot get ALL the FACTS!

AJ

http://www.theweek.co.uk/trade/88867...-on-bombardier

“This hypocrisy is appalling” the spokesperson added, “and it should be deeply troubling to any importer of large, complex, and highly engineered products.”

could the Spyder be next ... ?

[ARtraveler]

No worry IMO on the . They already tried that game with motorcycles in order to help HD. All it gave us were more expensive motorcycles--and HD is one of the leaders.

[Wildrice]

No worry IMO on the . They already tried that game with motorcycles in order to help HD. All it gave us were more expensive motorcycles--and HD is one of the leaders.

I agree plus a large portion of HD motorcycles are Not build in the USA & some of the parts like the Struts/shocks are built by Honda's subsidy "Showa" in Sunbury, OH.. Electronics from Japan.

[kngfsh27]

I agree plus a large portion of HD motorcycles are Not build in the USA & some of the parts like the Struts/shocks are built by Honda's subsidy "Showa" in Sunbury, OH.. Electronics from Japan.

The engines and frames are still built in the US. What other large portion are you talking about?

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I agree plus a large portion of HD motorcycles are Not build in the USA & some of the parts like the Struts/shocks are built by Honda's subsidy "Showa" in Sunbury, OH.. Electronics from Japan.

The engines and frames are still built in the US. What other large portion are you talking about?

There was a time several years ago that there was more American content in a Honda Goldwing than in HD. But it's almost hopeless to figure what parts came from where. I've read where many auto parts have crossed the Mexico and Canada borders multiple times by the time they are in a completed component, let alone the final product. I imagine many motorcycle parts are included in that back and forth game. For example, an electrical harness may have wire from Taiwan, terminal bits from China, plastic housings from US, all assembled in Japan. Who made the part? No good answer.

For all we know the shocks Wildrice refers to may have rubber seals from Japan, pistons made in Mexico from steel from China, and so on, all put together in Ohio. Made in XXX is almost meaningless today. Don't be surprised if those HD engines made in the US have timing gears from Taiwan, or wherever, in them. I would not be at all surprised if the block castings come from China, with final machining here. That's why the President's desire to see NAFTA killed might end up constipating US manufacturing rather than helping it.

[RinconRyder]

No worry IMO on the . They already tried that game with motorcycles in order to help HD. All it gave us were more expensive motorcycles--and HD is one of the leaders.

I don't think so. It definitely protected HD so they could raise their prices but its effect upon the Japanese big CC engines was minimal.

What it did do was encourage the Japanese "big 3" to reduce the size of their engines and come out with better performing, yet cheaper, street machines. Since HD buyers generally don't buy on price and wouldn't be caught dead riding Japanese machines it had very little impact on the market overall.

[ARtraveler]

I don't think so. It definitely protected HD so they could raise their prices but its effect upon the Japanese big CC engines was minimal.

What it did do was encourage the Japanese "big 3" to reduce the size of their engines and come out with better performing, yet cheaper, street machines. Since HD buyers generally don't buy on price and wouldn't be caught dead riding Japanese machines it had very little impact on the market overall.

I am going to respectfully disagree on a couple points. Those wonderful inline fours pretty much disappeared. Every Japanese major ended up with V twins and HD clones in the process. I am one of the few that liked the UJM. My last inline 4 was the last year Kawi Voyager. 2002, 2003???? I currently have a v-twin 2015 900 LTD.

Pretty much all Japanese from the 60's up were flawless. I never had a major mechanical problem over all four brands and every cc level. What stuck out for me was the disappearance of the in line fours--the copy cat v twin on pretty much everything, and the new and improved pricing. HD was the clear winner. Everyone had to match HD pricing in the long run.

The current market is changing a bit. I do believe HD is going to price themselves out of the market. Their new CVO line is starting at $40K.

[RinconRyder]

I am going to respectfully disagree on a couple points. Those wonderful inline fours pretty much disappeared. Every Japanese major ended up with V twins and HD clones in the process. I am one of the few that liked the UJM. My last inline 4 was the last year Kawi Voyager. 2002, 2003???? I currently have a v-twin 2015 900 LTD.

Pretty much all Japanese from the 60's up were flawless. I never had a major mechanical problem over all four brands and every cc level. What stuck out for me was the disappearance of the in line fours--the copy cat v twin on pretty much everything, and the new and improved pricing. HD was the clear winner. Everyone had to match HD pricing in the long run.

The current market is changing a bit. I do believe HD is going to price themselves out of the market. Their new CVO line is starting at $40K.

I too was a big fan of the inline fours. My '71 Honda 750 Four (slightly modified) could beat the pants off any HD made in those days.

But the UJM were just following a trend by trying to copy HD's Potato Twins. It didn't succeed. Both Yamaha and Kawasaki did however sell a bunch of their 80ish vertical twins ala Triumph, BSA etc. So sometimes copying but producing a better product does work. I owned a '81 Yammy 650 Twin which, when I saw it last, had well over 100,000 miles on it and the then owner was about to take it cross country for the 4th or 5th time. I think Kawasaki still sells their version of the Triumph Bonneville 650 twin.

[Fat Baxter]

I don't think so. It definitely protected HD so they could raise their prices but its effect upon the Japanese big CC engines was minimal.

What it did do was encourage the Japanese "big 3" to reduce the size of their engines and come out with better performing, yet cheaper, street machines. Since HD buyers generally don't buy on price and wouldn't be caught dead riding Japanese machines it had very little impact on the market overall.

I recall things a bit differently. The US imposed a large tariff on imported bikes 750cc and larger. In response, the Japanese started making machines around 600-650cc to squeeze in under the threshhold. But they also started wringing more performance out of those smaller engines to make up the performance gap: higher compression rations, four valves per cylinder, better metallurgy, five- and six-speed transmissions, lighter weight frames, etc.

When the tariff was lifted, the Japanese began building larger bikes again while also bringing along the better engine technology.

And thus was born the superbike era.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

When the tariff was lifted, the Japanese began building larger bikes again while also bringing along the better engine technology.

And thus was born the superbike era.

To HD's credit they asked for the tariff to be ended early. They had shaped up their quality and felt plenty confident of their ability to compete with the Japanese head on without the support of the tariffs.

When I worked for the Army the people on the assembly line at McAlester Army Ammunition Plant in OK said they could tell immediately when bomb bodies made by HD came down the line. They were built better than other producers' bomb bodies were.

[UtahPete]

How about this. Start making those engines in the US and there will be NO TARIFF! AJ

The tariff is cheaper than using American labor. If we forced all manufacturers to make their goods in the US, only the top 1% could afford to buy anything. There's no simple answer to the world trade issues.

[Bob Denman]

Who really cares?
In another 100 years: we'll all be dead, and a bunch of other nit-wits will still be bitching about the same damn stuff...

[UtahPete]

Who really cares? In another 100 years: we'll all be dead, and a bunch of other nit-wits will still be bitching about the same damn stuff...

You're right. I hate it when that happens.

[sandeejs]

In another 100 years: we'll all be dead, and a bunch of other nit-wits will still be bitching about the same damn stuff...

Sounds like Thanksgiving dinners with my family.

~Sandee~

[Bob Denman]

Sounds like Thanksgiving dinners with my family.

~Sandee~

Thanks, Sis!

[johnsimion]

The tariff is cheaper than using American labor. If we forced all manufacturers to make their goods in the US, only the top 1% could afford to buy anything. There's no simple answer to the world trade issues.

When did things change? Because when I grew up, almost everything was made in America and somehow we could still afford to buy stuff. It was that way for sure through the 1970s. In fact, it wasn't that many years ago that Wal-Mart was advertising all the products they carried that were made in America.

[RinconRyder]

When did things change? Because when I grew up, almost everything was made in America and somehow we could still afford to buy stuff. It was that way for sure through the 1970s. In fact, it wasn't that many years ago that Wal-Mart was advertising all the products they carried that were made in America.

Things changed because the rest of the world recovered from the devastation of WWII. Among first world countries the USA was the only significant one with virtually no battle damage and its industries were in high gear as a result of producing war materiel for the previous six years. In addition, there was tremendous pent up demand from the US population for cars, houses and other material things that could not be bought during the war years - and civilians had money to pay for these things because of the mandatory wage and price controls during the war.

But during these same 1950's and 60's not everything was Made in America. If you wanted precision camera equipment it came from Germany. England produced quality musical instruments. Japan began with cheap toys, much as China is today, but quickly became the world leader in automobiles and took motorcycle manufacturing away from the Brits.

[UtahPete]

Things changed because the rest of the world recovered from the devastation of WWII. Among first world countries the USA was the only significant one with virtually no battle damage and its industries were in high gear as a result of producing war materiel for the previous six years. In addition, there was tremendous pent up demand from the US population for cars, houses and other material things that could not be bought during the war years - and civilians had money to pay for these things because of the mandatory wage and price controls during the war.

But during these same 1950's and 60's not everything was Made in America. If you wanted precision camera equipment it came from Germany. England produced quality musical instruments. Japan began with cheap toys, much as China is today, but quickly became the world leader in automobiles and took motorcycle manufacturing away from the Brits.

Well said.

[UtahPete]

Things changed because the rest of the world recovered from the devastation of WWII. Among first world countries the USA was the only significant one with virtually no battle damage and its industries were in high gear as a result of producing war materiel for the previous six years. In addition, there was tremendous pent up demand from the US population for cars, houses and other material things that could not be bought during the war years - and civilians had money to pay for these things because of the mandatory wage and price controls during the war.

But during these same 1950's and 60's not everything was Made in America. If you wanted precision camera equipment it came from Germany. England produced quality musical instruments. Japan began with cheap toys, much as China is today, but quickly became the world leader in automobiles and took motorcycle manufacturing away from the Brits.

I never really thought about it that way, but it makes sense.