Photographic film is on the new list of tariffs

[Huss]

https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/301/2018-0026 China FRN 7-10-2018_0.pdf

Starting at 3701.10.00 through 3707.90.60 photographic film products including chemicals are on the new list of $200 billion of tariffs announced today.
What is interesting is who this is going to effect. Fuji? Lomo? Agfa? This will really show where stuff is made and where the materials to make it come from.
My fridge is already full of film, but this shows how trade wars may effect us in ways we did not think of.

 

[Contarama]

Change is good hope your electric is good too

 

[lemalk]

Well, I am still trying to find the logic behind any of these new tariffs. Change isn't always good - especially if it's a step backward, or only beneficial to those who use everyone else as leverage for their personal gain.

With the price of film increasing steadily, it will be difficult to parse how much is due to tariffs, manufacturing, and if things continue on this path, inflation.

Time to load up on some more film, I guess. Thanks for the justification, Huss 😉 !

 

[NickTrop]

Elections have consequences.

 

[Archlich]

A darker spiral without any winner.

 

[lynnb]

Gosh, here's hoping the manufacturers start dumping film in Australia, where we pay roughly double US prices 😱

Being more realistic, anything that depresses film sales is a Bad Thing.

 

[css9450]

I've taken a liking to this Shanghai GP3 film lately, but I missed the days of $2 rolls. Its now around $5 and watch it'll probably go up with the new tariffs!

 

[dmr]

Elections have consequences.

^^^^^^ This! ^^^^^^

 

[roscoetuff]

Okay... this just got personal. Film? Really?

 

[leicapixie]

Film is such a tiny area of market, will certainly suffer.
Change in this case is not good and those thinking that, well..

 

[xayraa33]

I can see the long defunct firm Ansco coming back to life and making film in the USA, as now it will be a closed shop in the US of A and super profitable.

 

[x-ray]

This is just a way to bring countries to the table to negotiate unfare trade practices. It's only temporary. Other countries have been killing our industry for years through one sided trade practices. For example China has been dumping steel in the US below the cost of production which has helped destroy the US steel industry. China also imposes a 25% tariff on US cars and Canada imposes a nearly 300% tariff on US dairy. Europe does similar but they scream when we impose similar duties.

Another concern is intellectual property and technology theft. Even I have been a victim of intellectual property theft by China. Several of my copyrighted photographs have been used without consent on T shirts that were sold on Amazon.

The US has to get control of this and this is the way to get them to the table.

Relax, it won't last forever. Other countries export to the US many times what we export to them so sooner than later they're going to have to rebalance tariffs.

In the long run we'll be much better off.

 

[xayraa33]

This is just a way to bring countries to the table to negotiate unfare trade practices. It's only temporary. Other countries have been killing our industry for years through one sided trade practices. For example China has been dumping steel in the US below the cost of production which has helped destroy the US steel industry. China also imposes a 25% tariff on US cars and Canada imposes a nearly 300% tariff on US dairy. Europe does similar but they scream when we impose similar duties.

Another concern is intellectual property and technology theft. Even I have been a victim of intellectual property theft by China. Several of my copyrighted photographs have been used without consent on T shirts that were sold on Amazon.

The US has to get control of this and this is the way to get them to the table.

Relax, it won't last forever. Other countries export to the US many times what we export to them so sooner than later they're going to have to rebalance tariffs.

In the long run we'll be much better off.

Canadian consumers pay exorbitant prices for cheese, even for humdrum run of the mill common domestically produced cheese, all thanks to the milk marketing board (CDC) to protect dairy farmers and stick it to everyone else.

Cheese in most other nations was always poor people's food and most of the common national varieties were always very affordable.

 

[HHPhoto]

https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/301/2018-0026%20China%20FRN%207-10-2018_0.pdf

Starting at 3701.10.00 through 3707.90.60 photographic film products including chemicals are on the new list of $200 billion of tariffs announced today.
What is interesting is who this is going to effect. Fuji? Lomo? Agfa? This will really show where stuff is made and where the materials to make it come from.
My fridge is already full of film, but this shows how trade wars may effect us in ways we did not think of.

If I read that right, this is headed to products from China only, right?
Then it will have negative effects on
- Eastman Kodak, if they import some raw materials from China (which is probably the case)
- Lucky with their imports of RA-4 paper and BW film to the US market
- Shanghai with their imports to the US market, but that probably only in theory, because there is no official import to the US (afaik only some individual sellers doing it)
- maybe some Lomo films which are coated by Eastman Kodak and converted in China (which is definitely the case).

So the losers will be:
- american customers because of paying higher prices
- Eastman Kodak
- Lucky, Lomography, (Shanghai).

Well, in general: The American consumers and workers will suffer most in the long term.

The decisive question is: Is this only the first step? Will it be extended to European and Japanese manufacturers?
The other film and photo paper manufacturing plants are located in
- Japan (Fujifilm; film and paper)
- England (Harman technology; film and paper)

- Germany:
1. Adox (film and paper)
2. Inoviscoat (film and paper)
3. Filmotec (film)

- Netherlands (Fujifilm: photo paper; Polaroid Originals: film)
- Belgium (Agfa; film)
- Switzerland (Adox; film and paper)
- Czech (Foma; film and paper)
- Russia (Tasma: BW film; Slavich: BW paper).

If it is extended, then we all have a problem: All film photographers worldwide and all manufacturers.

Cheers, Jan

 

[Maiku]

Moderators can we stop this thread. It is going to turn into a slogging thread about trade.

At the moment, I am irate and want to write a rebuttal to xray, but will hold my tongue. However, I know others won't.

 

[johannielscom]

The US has to get control of this and this is the way to get them to the table.

Relax, it won't last forever. Other countries export to the US many times what we export to them so sooner than later they're going to have to rebalance tariffs.

In the long run we'll be much better off.

It'll be pretty lonely at your table soon I suppose.

Large amounts of steel for the US automotive industry are made in The Netherlands by a subsidiary of Indian steel manufacturer Tata Steel.
The US factories are unable to produce the similar qualities and sq. ft. dimensions of steel, but they have relied on international trade to obtain that steel from the EU.

So either pay more for your Buicks and Fords yourselves, or invest in the process to manufacture your own. Allegedly it was a two-decade R&D process and it won't come cheap.

Meanwhile, the EU steel will probably go to Chinese and Indian markets (where they are eager to buy the superior product already), where there is a huge growth in automotive industries waiting to happen.

Sit at your table all you like, sooner or later the world will just carry on without the US.

 

[x-ray]

It'll be pretty lonely at your table soon I suppose.

Large amounts of steel for the US automotive industry are made in The Netherlands by a subsidiary of Indian steel manufacturer Tata Steel.
The US factories are unable to produce the similar qualities and sq. ft. dimensions of steel, but they have relied on international trade to obtain that steel from the EU.

So either pay more for your Buicks and Fords yourselves, or invest in the process to manufacture your own. Allegedly it was a two-decade R&D process and it won't come cheap.

Meanwhile, the EU steel will probably go to Chinese and Indian markets (where they are eager to buy the superior product already), where there is a huge growth in automotive industries waiting to happen.

Sit at your table all you like, sooner or later the world will just carry on without the US.

This isn't a personal thing so let's not go there.

Birmingham and Besemer Alabama were steel centers at one time and now there's no evidence there was ever any steel production ever. Even near my home there was a manganese steel mill but it's gone now. Their product was used in automobiles.

One positive note I read last week was six steel Mills in the US are reopening and US factories located in China are relocating back to the US. Imo this is a huge plus for the US. More jobs for American workers. For so long we've allowed our trade deficit to spiral out of control. That's bad for US workers and US security. The US can't sustain this.

Nothing political and nothing personal here.

 

[Steve M.]

"Change is good......"

Let's just say what the whole world knows. No good is going to come from these tariff escalations.

 

[Huss]

Moderators can we stop this thread. It is going to turn into a slogging thread about trade.

At the moment, I am irate and want to write a rebuttal to xray, but will hold my tongue. However, I know others won't.

I started this thread to let people know that film and film products are on the tariff list. A real thing. Not opinion.

People are discussing it, you don't like something that you've read so you demand the thread to be stopped? How about not reading it?

 

[johannielscom]

Nothing personal, that's a good thing to emphasise the next time you run into a US worker that loses his job because solar panel import from China has started collapsing. And please do mention it's a good thing he'll have a new job in coal mining soon. Politics down the line are always personal for someone!

Anyway, we'll see what happens over time, and I'm pretty confident Europe and Asia are holding the long end of the stick...

Back OT: at least there's a lot more film and chemicals made in my neck of the woods. The situation on the brexit is more worrisome to global film usage, since film's biggest advocate will soon also be in a market of its own, instead of inside the EU... Tariffs imposed there might kill film off much sooner than anyone would wish!😱


@Huss's latest comment: upvote! 😀