How would this ever work?

The vast bulk of tariffs are surely paid by the buyer, not the seller.

▲ axiolite 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> tariffs are surely paid by the buyer, not the seller.

The US has declared import tariffs are to be paid by the importer/shipper, not collected from the end purchaser after... The opposite of the rest of the world.

If you look through eBay, at items coming from China, you'll see most are noted as:

  Import fees: Includes import fees
  This item includes applicable import fees—you won’t pay anything extra after checkout."

So they are being paid by the seller/importer/etc.

It seems to be a rare exception that you'll see the seller is not paying the tariffs:

  Import fees: Import fees due prior to delivery
  Due to US customs policies, the buyer of this item will need to pay import fees to the shipping carrier prior to delivery.

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lostlogin 2 hours ago | parent [-]

> It seems to be a rare exception that you'll see the seller is not paying the tariffs

The seller won’t take the hit if that results in a loss. Surely the price just went up to include the tariff?

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mitthrowaway2 13 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

Maybe, but when I order from Canada I don't see a lower price. So probably we're paying for your tariffs.

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axiolite 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I expect nearly all foreign sellers have increased their prices to cover the tariffs. However, there are items selling for less than eBay says an individual will be charged in fees, so it's not just a you-pay-or-I-pay thing. Either eBay is exaggerating, or sellers are finding a way to get a better deal.

It's a minefield for eBay buyers who likely won't notice the footnote means their $5 purchase will cost them $20+ in fees. They now have something else to lookout for that doesn't show up in the table of search results. Something only in a small note on the item's product page. Something that might mean significant extra cost if you aren't careful when shopping.

	▲	tempestn 37 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		I actually expect quite a lot of smaller foreign sellers have just stopped bothering trying to sell to the US, because the price plus the hassle isn't worth it. Large companies of course still will, with some price increase.

▲ tjbiddle 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

It's more nuanced than that.

Tariffs do not always 100% immediately get passed on to buyer.

If there's a $100 product you'd like to purchase and there's a 100% tariff, it won't be $200.

That product was made abroad, let's for $20. So the tariff should be $20, not $100.

The US-based owner will go to the supplier, say they're getting squeezed by tariffs and first they'll try to see what they can do to recategorize the tariff, or negotiate with their supplier to absorb some of the expense. Let's say that got it down to $15. The owner still doesn't want to increase costs by 15%, so they'll hold off for a while and absorb, and then eventually maybe increase 5-10 and absorb further; perhaps eventually going the full stretch - maybe not.

	▲	bruce511 4 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Squeezing the supplier may work in the short term, especially for goods already ordered, and produced, which can't be sold elsewhere. But in the short-medium term it creates uncertainty for the supplier. (The on / off / on nature of these tariffs doesn't help.) For some goods this means suppliers will develop new markets, or will adjust prices up for American purchasers. For example, say I have an orange farm. Say I have been selling to the US for ages. Simple, reliable sale, no need to look for other customers. This year there's turmoil. We take a hit because US buyers need a discount (or might cancel the order.) OK, I'll take the hit. But I'll also put out feelers for other markets for next years crop. Maybe Saudia Arabia is looking. Maybe Europe is looking. Next year, do I develop those relationships, or do I reserve my crop for my US buyer? Tariffs are not necessarily the problem. They are an important long-term tool used to support local production. Uncertainty though is a huge problem- it's easier to sell elsewhere.