Friday 23 November 2012

What a crock



A tax rise on ceramic goods will add 17.5% -58% to the dockside import costs of goods from China.
The move that has been widely condemned as anti free trade by EU member states but the tax has ALREADY come into pace, and it did so at 24 hours notice.
As some one who imports, sells and distributes Chinese ceramic and cookware goods I can only remark *****!! I mean, what the ****!

These new duties will feed through to higher prices in stores. And, because China mainly supplies the value end of the market, they will deny less well-off customers access to affordable crockery.

Exactly. just why the EU has decided to force up the price of cookware, plates, mugs, gifts, moneyboxes, teabag holder, fridge magnets and  coasters is a mystery. they fear that China is 'dumping' goods on the EU at low or nil profits. Why the Chinese would bother isn't explained. to kill off all the ceramic firms in Europe, perhaps?

 The EU market for ceramic tableware and kitchenware is worth €1.5bn. Half of that (€730m) comes from China, said the commission. In volume terms, 80% of all the EU's imports of ceramic tableware come from China.

So, from January, once existing stocks are exhausted expect a very large price rise. 

This will happen. In 2008 the EU added 50% to the import price of candles. The BRC ran an almost identical article to their current one. And they were right. The price of candles rose to a point where they aren't worth stocking. 

In 2007 BQ industries used to carry 20+ varieties of Christmas candles at £2 - £5 a go.
This year, just 1. And that is priced a bit too high for comfort at £5.95 for a small candle. So we have a tiny, tiny holding.

 We don't buy dearer French or Belgium candles instead of Chinese ones. We just don't buy candles full stop. We won't buy high priced mug and coaster gift sets either. People won't buy them.
We'll stock something else.

The surprise is that the EU has the right to increase taxes, for up to 5 years, by any amount it likes, without majority member consent. While you're over there Dave, maybe look into this unnecessary inflation adding rise in homewares?




13 comments:

Graeme said...

we Sloanes are saving the chavs from their base Bercow desires

an old lamp lighter said...

Time to put the EU's candle out permanently.

Electro-Kevin said...

"Why the Chinese would bother isn't explained. to kill off all the ceramic firms in Europe, perhaps?"

With $15 trillion of debt they've broken the US economy.

They're riding on a wave of confidence.

UK ceramics just has to be next, surely ?

Electro-Kevin said...

Did the Christmas Toy Barge get here safely this year, BQ ?

CityUnslicker said...

Our ceramics business has takena good kicking in the last few years from Chinese competition. So not only is this wrong, its tool late anyway for what they want to achieve.

Sigh.

Bill Quango MP said...

EK - The toy barge has come in and its probably the last year we will take it. Toys have only ever been around 10% of business, but it has declined to about 5%. Supermarkets and tiniternet have done local shops in. Plus we don't carry much over about £30.

We have sale or return contracts, that we sell on, and will just stick to those.

Toys are so expensive. Two top sellers for Xmas are Kurio -£180 and Furby £75 -£190.

Not like the old days when you got your two a hoop and a stick , a satsuma, and a £5 book token, EK.

DtP said...

I think I got a Tonka car and lego for about 10 years. The blurb that Tonka were indestructable was merely seen as a challenge.

andrew said...


Our ceramics business has takena good kicking in the last few years from Chinese competition. So not only is this wrong, its tool late anyway for what they want to achieve.

Sigh.



Legislation is almost always
(a) Reactive and so too late
or
(b) Proacive and so misses the point and so has a lot of unforseen negative consequences

This is not just true of business. The problem seems to get worse the larger the organisation.

So, to improve democracy we look to become less democratic

Demetrius said...

And don't we import a lot of clothing from China? Is that next?

Electro-Kevin said...

Toys, ceramics, book tokens ... satsumas ...

Just what business ARE you in, BQ ???

Mr Ecks said...

The time is coming when those who import (and all those others affected by the antics of the state be it local, national or larger) are going to have top say NO and make it stick by any means needed. With approaching economic disaster, endless regulation can no longer be accepted just simply on the grounds of survival.

ps-your verification system is crap--the words are bad enough--but now tiny fuzzy pictures ofc God knows what.

James Higham said...

The surprise is that the EU has the right to increase taxes, for up to 5 years, by any amount it likes, without majority member consent.

Really Bill - that surprises you?

Agence communication said...

"" Exactly. just why the EU has decided to force up the price of cookware, plates, mugs, gifts, moneyboxes, teabag holder, fridge magnets and coasters is a mystery. they fear that China is 'dumping' goods on the EU at low or nil profits. Why the Chinese would bother isn't explained. to kill off all the ceramic firms in Europe, perhaps?

The EU market for ceramic tableware and kitchenware is worth €1.5bn. Half of that (€730m) comes from China, said the commission. In volume terms, 80% of all the EU's imports of ceramic tableware come from China.
""