Marty,
I’ll give it one last try because you’re slowly but surely making a fool of yourself. I gave you the numbers. In 2023, the tariffs on EU goods going to the US were higher than US goods going to Europe. I gave you the formula Trump used to calculate his reciprocal tariffs. The calculation works but it’s too simple for you to believe. Don’t blame me for that. The tariffs he presented are not reciprocal. He is starting a trade war and isolating the US. It’s the US against the rest of the world. Americans will pay the price.

The EU tariffs American cars at 10% - Correct
The US tariffs EU pickups at 25%
The EU adds a value added tax of 19-27% on water, toilet paper, cars, no matter what and where the goods or services come from. In the US these taxes are called State Taxes. Is that an issue? I don’t get the point.

Each EU country has a car registration tax.
Every EU car owner pays taxes for their cars every year. Is that an issue? I don’t get the point.

REMEMBER YOUR CONCERN WITH TARIFFS (TAXES) MAKING CONSUMERS PAY MORE
Germans pay higher taxes than Americans do. I’m affected by that, not you. Germans also pay higher tariffs on US goods than Americans do for German goods. I gave you the numbers.

And even if an American car gets into the EU, then it has to meet mandatory EU emission standards and other qualifying devices.
Yes, all cars sold in the EU need to fulfill regulatory requirements (airbags, blinker colors, seatbelts, emissions, etc.). That’s the same here too. I don’t get the point you’re making.

QUESTION: Are Europeans truly getting an opportunity to shop for American vehicles?
ANSWER: No.
Right, you can’t buy cars if there are no dealers. I’ve never seen a Buick, Dodge, Chevy dealer in Germany. And even if you did import one of those cars, which is possible, you can’t get it serviced. The US manufacturers would have to build a service net first.

Martin owes Rob $10
Martin pays Rob $5 and calls it even
Dumb example. That is what Trump is trying to do.

This is the reality:
Martin’s wife buys a Mercedes for 50,000$. The dealer ships the German car to Texas and pays the US government the 2.5% tariff (1,250$). Martin’s wife hands over the check and gets the car keys and the Certificate of Title. To keep things simple, I left out the State Taxes. Germany didn’t rip off Marty’s wife nor the country. Had she bought a Mercedes pickup, Mercedes would have had to pay the US government the 12,500$ tariff costs. It’s actually very easy to understand.

Last edited by Rob B.; 04/04/25 10:32 AM.