Amazon’s UK FBA operations will be split from the EU • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon’s UK FBA operations will be split from the EU

#91

Post by libertine » Sun, Jul 19, 2020, 1:37 PM UTC

viraptor wrote: post #44

Does anyone know what could be a specific reason leading to this change? I mean, deeper than "no single market", what would prevent Amazon from running the same operation, potentially with slightly higher fees to offset relevant transport/import taxes. They ran marketplaces at crazy prices before, like shipping to Australia before local distribution centres.

I think that besides taxes and fees, the main issue - and bottleneck - will be customs.

In EU you have free movement of goods and people, so if I buy from Amazon DE, FR, IT, the item will be shipped and moved around EU territory and easily get delivered to my door.

If I buy from Amazon.com I'll get an email from the customs where they ask me for proof of purchase where the proper taxation/custom fees were paid. This is what will happen in with products coming from the UK. This means the package is being processed by a foreign entity with no time window to be released (because part of it will depend on you as well).

Amazon simply cannot keep UK in their european fulfillment network warehouses because it will have items go through customs. It would be a bottleneck in a seamless movement of products. It's not about geography, it's about crossing borders.

Re: Amazon’s UK FBA operations will be split from the EU

#92

Post by threeseed » Sun, Jul 19, 2020, 1:43 PM UTC

IAmEveryone wrote: post #4

Sometimes, I feel like to achieve closure, I'd really need a thread where the people endlessly and repetitively insisting that Brexit is easy, would not impact trade, and would be worse for the EU than for the UK would show the grace of admitting that they very wrong, so very and obviously wrong. Similar for the beneficial effects of Hydroxychloroquine, for California basically having achieved herd immunity in May, a…

COVID-19 is going to mask most of the negative economic effects of Brexit.

Brexiteers basically got themselves a get out of jail free card.

Re: Amazon’s UK FBA operations will be split from the EU

#93

Post by simonh » Sun, Jul 19, 2020, 1:43 PM UTC

headmelted wrote: post #32

SideburnsOfDoom wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In context of Brexit, the inevitable consequences of the UK's actions is quite often a "bombshell" to the UK. The denial is strong.

This. You really have to be here to believe the extent to which the average Joe on the street believes they'll be able to have their cake and eat it after this is settled. What's bizarre is that when challenged on how ridiculous that is, they'll immediately accept it as rational before saying "well we voted out anyway so it doesn't matter".

The Brexiteer in my family blames it all on the Europeans, apparently they’re the ones raising all these barriers and cutting us off from the benefits of membership out of spite.

Re: Amazon’s UK FBA operations will be split from the EU

#94

Post by bluehatbrit » Sun, Jul 19, 2020, 1:44 PM UTC

Reason077 wrote: post #29

So stupid! The UK voted to keep Europeans from coming over here and taking our jobs and seducing our women with their sophisticated accents. There was nothing about blocking European goods and European fulfilment centres. Boris Johnson even assured us that it was going to be easy to get a "great deal" on free trade. This is not the Brexit we voted for!!

> Boris Johnson even assured us that it was going to be easy to get a "great deal" on free trade.

It's almost as if a Torie politican knowingly lied to win an election! I too am incredibly surprised... /s

Re: Amazon’s UK FBA operations will be split from the EU

#95

Post by threeseed » Sun, Jul 19, 2020, 1:47 PM UTC

camcorder wrote: post #77

SideburnsOfDoom wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In context of Brexit, the inevitable consequences of the UK's actions is quite often a "bombshell" to the UK. The denial is strong.

Is it? The denial in Europe is currently that the flooding of the labor market with Eastern European workers has no consequences for the common man. Countries have been sold out to the stock markets for the last two decades. It is refreshing that the UK is the first to recognize this officially.

Many of the jobs Eastern Europeans were taking simply aren't being filled by UK workers.

They consider themselves too good to pick fruit, clean toilets and care for sick people.

Re: Amazon’s UK FBA operations will be split from the EU

#96

Post by rsynnott » Sun, Jul 19, 2020, 1:49 PM UTC

intsunny wrote: post #3

I fail to see the "bombshell" here. This is what everyone expected when leaving the EU single market. The only bombshell would be if the UK negotiators managed to prevent a hard Brexit. Given the current track record of their leading political party, this seems unlikely.

It is not what the “no downsides, only considerable upsides” crowd expected. Remember that a lot of people, and dodgy newspapers, still cry ‘project fear’ at any expert opinion, so concrete consequences like this are going to shock some people.

Re: Amazon’s UK FBA operations will be split from the EU

#97

Post by nickserv » Sun, Jul 19, 2020, 1:50 PM UTC

williamgrant wrote: post #90

Reason077 wrote: post #29

So stupid! The UK voted to keep Europeans from coming over here and taking our jobs and seducing our women with their sophisticated accents. There was nothing about blocking European goods and European fulfilment centres. Boris Johnson even assured us that it was going to be easy to get a "great deal" on free trade. This is not the Brexit we voted for!!

> The UK voted to keep Europeans from coming over here and taking our jobs and our women with their sophisticated accents. This comment expresses an appalling amount of xenophobia and classism. This warped, cartoonish portrayal of "Brexit" voters on HN is not unexpected, but it is disappointing it seems to escape moderation.

Pretty sure OP is being sarcastic.

Re: Amazon’s UK FBA operations will be split from the EU

#98

Post by pal_9000 » Sun, Jul 19, 2020, 1:52 PM UTC

corty wrote: post #72

derriz wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you live in Switzerland? Only a fraction of what’s listed on amazon.de or amazon.fr will ship to Switzerland. Pretty much no electronics will ship to for example. The China loop hole was closed recently so that alibaba and the like are now unavailable. Often you just have to suck it up and pay “Swiss” prices from a local reseller.

And swiss prices are absolutely outrageous. In addition to lots of taxes and duties on certain goods, labour prices in switzerland are sky-high, so visiting a retailer there is usually more expensive than a short shopping trip to France/Germany/Italy...

Electronics are cheaper in Switzerland

Re: Amazon’s UK FBA operations will be split from the EU

#99

Post by hellofunk » Sun, Jul 19, 2020, 1:54 PM UTC

williamgrant wrote: post #90

Reason077 wrote: post #29

So stupid! The UK voted to keep Europeans from coming over here and taking our jobs and seducing our women with their sophisticated accents. There was nothing about blocking European goods and European fulfilment centres. Boris Johnson even assured us that it was going to be easy to get a "great deal" on free trade. This is not the Brexit we voted for!!

> The UK voted to keep Europeans from coming over here and taking our jobs and our women with their sophisticated accents. This comment expresses an appalling amount of xenophobia and classism. This warped, cartoonish portrayal of "Brexit" voters on HN is not unexpected, but it is disappointing it seems to escape moderation.

I’m curious, just how wrong is the comment? A parallel political scenario, the election of Trump, was also characterized by a fundamental political platform centered against other races and cultures, and this was acknowledged and successful.

Re: Amazon’s UK FBA operations will be split from the EU

#100

Post by igmeyers » Sun, Jul 19, 2020, 1:56 PM UTC

threeseed wrote: post #95

camcorder wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it? The denial in Europe is currently that the flooding of the labor market with Eastern European workers has no consequences for the common man. Countries have been sold out to the stock markets for the last two decades. It is refreshing that the UK is the first to recognize this officially.

Many of the jobs Eastern Europeans were taking simply aren't being filled by UK workers. They consider themselves too good to pick fruit, clean toilets and care for sick people.

Would not the praised invisible hand take care of this? If toilet cleaners provide more value than stock brokers (they do), they should be paid more.

There is also the fact that Eastern European construction workers in Germany do not follow German regulations, rip out Asbest without precautions etc., thus undercutting local builders.