Just do it

We'll be hearing a lot about the rules of international trade in the next few days. If you want to know what they are, this document (pdf) lists the tariff rates imposed by the European Union. Here's a bit of it, the tariffs applied to chickens:

Not cut in pieces, fresh or chilled:
    Plucked and gutted, with heads and feet, known as '83% chickens' = €26.2/100kg.
    Plucked and drawn, without heads and feet but with necks, hearts, liver and gizzards, known as '70% chickens'  = €29.9/100kg.
    Plucked and drawn, without heads and feet and without necks, hearts, liver and gizzards, known as '65% chickens' or otherwise presented = €32.5/100kg.
Not cut in pieces, frozen:
    Plucked and drawn, without heads and feet but with necks, hearts, liver and gizzards, known as '70% chickens'  = €29.9/100kg.
    Plucked and drawn, without heads and feet and without necks, hearts, liver and gizzards, known as '65% chickes' or otherwise presented = €32.5/100kg.
Cuts and offal, fresh or chilled:
Cuts
    Boneless = €102.4/100kg
    With bone in:
        Halves or quarters = €35.8/100kg
        Whole wings, with or without tips = €26.9/100kg
        Backs. necks, backs with necks attached, rumps and wing-tips = €18.7/100kg
        Breasts and cuts thereof = €60.2/100kg
        Legs and cuts thereof = €46.3/100kg
        Other = €100.8/100kg
    Offal
        Livers = 6.4%
        Other = €18.7/100kg

And so it goes on. And on. And on. For 877 pages. Duty rates on Gorgonzola, Cheddar, Pecorina and Edam are all different. Duty on most clothing items (with lengthy definitions of suits and ski-wear) are 12 per cent; but the duty on baby clothing is 10.5 per cent; whilst that on "shawls, scarves, mufflers, mantillas, veils and the like" is 8 per cent; that on gloves and mittens is 7.6 per cent; and that on ties, bow-ties and cravats is 6.3 per cent.
I defy anyone to show that this tariff structure optimizes European welfare.
More to the point, it's just fantasy to expect this absurdity to be negotiated into something sane. Line-by-line negotiations will get us nowhere.
So here's my suggestion for Blair and Brown. Forget negotiation. Fighting street-to-street on this won't work. Why not just announce, unilaterally, that the UK will have no part in this absurdity, and will allow free imports from everywhere?  This will give the rest of the EU three options.
1. They could do nothing, in which case their tariffs will become redundant as goods are freely imported to the UK and re-exported.
2. They could retaliate by imposing tariffs on the UK. This would show clearly to all Europeans that EU leaders want to impoverish Africa and harm European consumers in order to please their lobbyists and special interest groups.
3. Do the right thing, and follow the UK's example.
If Blair and Brown were serious about wanting to help Africa (and indeed UK consumers) they'd do this today. Both are surely well aware of the text: "follow not a multitude to do evil."
Or do they prefer to just drool and drivel that they care, without actually doing anything?

Comments

[dearieme]

"follow not a multitude to do evil": that's your nicest quote yet against the managerialist ethic in corporate, and public, life. Hardly likely to appeal, though, to the Passionate loathsome wee twat, is it?

[Andrew]

Out of interest, how much revenue does all this generate for HM Treasury?

[rjw]

I take your point about it being a mess though, and the hypocrisy lying behind many of these restrictions.

the only problem is that the UK would be going contra to the EU treaties. It's illegal. See article 133 of the Treaty.

For what it is worth, there are special dispensations for least developed countries - the everything but arms initiative:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/trade/issues/global/gsp/eba/index_en.htm

[Blimpish]

Andrew: I seem to recall that the revenue counts as European Commission 'own resources' - or at least a share does... but according to the last Budget, 'Customs Duties and Levies' counts as £2.2bn.

[Tim Worstall]

Andrew and Blimpish.
All customs duties are paid direct to the EU.

Chris, thanks a lot for finding that file. I’ve been trying to get it for yonks without having to pay Customs and E 1,500 quid. Good one.

Patrick Minford has also calculated the efect of all this nonsense. If we were free traders and the EU were to impose the normal tariffs on our exports to them we would benefit by 30 billion a year. Yes, benefit, not lose.

[rjw]

customs duities are all paid to the EU budget - less 25% of the amount collected, which member states can retain - notionally to cover costs