Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Postal traffic to US down by over 80% amid tariffs, UN says

dw.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

141–150 of 172 posts

Re: Postal traffic to US down by over 80% amid tariffs, UN says

#141

Post by conscion »

Tadpole9181 wrote: post #129
karaterobot wrote: post #91

If it turns out the dip is caused by a lag between the implementation of new tariff rules and the implementation of processes to handle them, and that in a short time traffic to the U.S. goes back to essentially its prior levels, what will that mean to the commenters in this thread? All of the hyper-rational, fact-based people in this thread, I mean. Because that seems like the most likely outcome to me.

I mean, you've biased answers here. Does "hyper-rational" allow for arguments about how this affects soft power and the relationships with foreign businesses? Does it allow adding additional tallies in the ongoing list of reasons other countries should not trust us or the dollar as a reserve? The US economy is currently being operated by a single man, who has no actual long-term plan and randomly flips levers and swi…

> And that's before any discussion about the actual de minimus changes. Changes which will effectively kill the ability for the average American citizen to custom order anything from any other country.

How does it kill the ability to custom order? My understanding of removing de minimus is only that the tariffs now apply to all orders. And because most tariffs now have been set ~30%, an order that was previously $100 is now $130. It seems like many willing to order custom made clothing would also be willing to pay an extra 30%.

Re: Postal traffic to US down by over 80% amid tariffs, UN says

#143

Post by pacomerh »

My friends from other countries aren't coming anymore, fearing they'll be wrongfully detained. It's a sad situation. I never thought anything could be worse than the COVID era, and the worst part is that some people actually cheer for this. This isn't speculation it's really happening and it's pretty disheartening.

Re: Postal traffic to US down by over 80% amid tariffs, UN says

#144

Post by linotype »

mc32 wrote: post #137
linotype wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some people really like LEGO and collect sets. Why do you consider LEGO garbage?

I’m not claiming Legos are garbage. In this context I’m claiming we don’t “need” 30 affordable sets per person. If someone wants to collect so be it but it will have a relative cost.

This could be said about any hobby. Why should people that like to read buy physical books? Why should people that like to take photographs print on film? Etc.

Re: Postal traffic to US down by over 80% amid tariffs, UN says

#145

Post by croes »

mc32 wrote: post #40
croes wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

I agree that people overconsume "garbage." Indeed who needs 30 dolls or 30 Lego sets (Yes, I know Legos are not made in China, but never the less it's true). We don't need to revamp home decor every five years. What's wrong with having avocado green bathrooms or wood paneling in basements? Did the Russkies or Chinese communists ever feel like their people's housing needed new decor every few years? I doubt it. We cou…

The impudence is to frame the whole thing as a matter of overconsumption of unnecessary goods. It affects all product group.

Who needs 4 tires, 3 are enough.

That attitude is even worse coming from a billionaire

Re: Postal traffic to US down by over 80% amid tariffs, UN says

#146

Post by mc32 »

linotype wrote: post #144
mc32 wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m not claiming Legos are garbage. In this context I’m claiming we don’t “need” 30 affordable sets per person. If someone wants to collect so be it but it will have a relative cost.

This could be said about any hobby. Why should people that like to read buy physical books? Why should people that like to take photographs print on film? Etc.

Yes but not everyone is a hobbyist so not everyone needs so much stuff. Some people’s hobby is antique car collecting. Not everyone can do it. That’s fine. I’m not mad. Today your Legos hobbyist collects “rare” sets or whatever. It’s not cheap. All I am saying is that we don’t need an overabundance of things be they junk or even quality systems. There is a useful amount and then there is excess.

Re: Postal traffic to US down by over 80% amid tariffs, UN says

#147

Post by Tadpole9181 »

conscion wrote: post #141
Tadpole9181 wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean, you've biased answers here. Does "hyper-rational" allow for arguments about how this affects soft power and the relationships with foreign businesses? Does it allow adding additional tallies in the ongoing list of reasons other countries should not trust us or the dollar as a reserve? The US economy is currently being operated by a single man, who has no actual long-term plan and randomly flips levers and swi…

> And that's before any discussion about the actual de minimus changes. Changes which will effectively kill the ability for the average American citizen to custom order anything from any other country. How does it kill the ability to custom order? My understanding of removing de minimus is only that the tariffs now apply to all orders. And because most tariffs now have been set ~30%, an order that was previously $100…

No, now you also need to go through formal customs entry and pay the other related fees. I think the minimum flat duty fee is $80-200 depending on country, so that'd be a $50 shirt becoming a $130 shirt.

Or they can switch courier, but that comes with the ad valorem tax and then that couriers brokerage fees - at least $30 dollars (though they'll probably raise it now that they don't have to compete). So a $50 shirt is now $85.

On top of that is the extra paperwork the seller now has to go through. And who knows if the tariff will change on the way, so maybe throw on a surcharge for Americans or just refuse the orders entirely.

> It seems like many willing to order custom made clothing would also be willing to pay an extra 30%.

These aren't rich people. They're paying a little extra already to avoid the poor tax of cheap, unethical crap they have to replace more often. Even just 30% is a huge markup because now instead of being double the price, it's almost triple the price of the worse stuff where those fees are amortized.

It's hard for me to believe I'm hearing, on HN of all places, "it's just 30% more expensive".

Re: Postal traffic to US down by over 80% amid tariffs, UN says

#148

Post by linotype »

yibg wrote: post #140
linotype wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Canada stopped and denied entry to my wife for a five year old DUI until we coughed up a $250 fee which felt like a bribe. This was ten years ago.

I don't understand the comparison. Was she at risk of being locked up for days or weeks? People aren't worried about being denied entry. People are worried about having their rights violated.

We were in fact worried about being locked up.

Re: Postal traffic to US down by over 80% amid tariffs, UN says

#149

Post by mc32 »

michaelmrose wrote: post #76
mc32 wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree that people overconsume "garbage." Indeed who needs 30 dolls or 30 Lego sets (Yes, I know Legos are not made in China, but never the less it's true). We don't need to revamp home decor every five years. What's wrong with having avocado green bathrooms or wood paneling in basements? Did the Russkies or Chinese communists ever feel like their people's housing needed new decor every few years? I doubt it. We cou…

The context of the quote thus. First we argue that tariffs will bear no harm for the American people and when people plainly see prices going we change tack and argue that Americans not only should bear the pain of the tariffs in order to achieve the largely entirely imaginary gains but that they can do so merely by sacrificing unnecessary luxury. The problem is that each economic segment of society lives a live enti…

It can take a while but here is the issue.

Importing cheap clothing allows people to have 30 shirts in their closet; however, on the flipside, people working as seamsters and seamstresses lose their jobs. That can mean taking lesser jobs at lesser pay and fewer benefits or leaving the labor market altogether. Underemployed or unemployed people get subsidized and that requires taxes. So the money we saved that allow us to buy cheap clothing also comes with paying more taxes. We'd have a better society with gainfully employed people while wearing more durable clothing with less impact on the environment.

Post reply on HN