Woke up Saturday morning to a text message telling me an order I’d placed last Friday in Japan had arrived at Customs in NYC and was being held awaiting my paying an “Import duty”.
I ordered it (398Y = $270) knowing full well there was a good chance it would hit the US Shores after August 29th which was the last day of the under $800 restriction on such duties– sho’ nuff– there it was. I logged into my DHL account and easy peasy was able to pay the $50 fee.
You’d think that I, as a taxpayer who feels like every nickel we send the US Government is squandered already would be up in arms over this– and I would have placed that bet too. But the reality of it is I’m OK with paying extra for a product not made in the USA. I see it as a voluntary tax and that’s what I’ve been pushing for my whole life–get rid of the income tax completely and make it a Federal Sales Tax– that way if I’m having a tough year I can completely control my own destiny by not buying anything.
I’m not sure how long this will last, but the economy is good, these tariffs seem to be working (from such sources as Director Powell who was against them but has changed his tune) and I’m okay with this.
It's Andy Fish! 
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