A 100% tariff on a Harley? True.

[FarCenter]

During his speech to a joint session of the US Congress, American president Donald Trump complained that the Harley-Davidson motorcycle company faces a 100% tariff in in at least one country. Fact check: True.

The tariff, applied by India on motorcycles with engines larger than 800cc, is a full 100%, according to the International Trade Centre. Other notable countries with high tariffs on large motorcycles are Thailand, China, and Malaysia.

...

In total, Census figures show, the US collected $1.1 billion in tariffs on $46 billion of goods imported from India in 2015, for an average rate of 2.4%. India collected $2.1 billion of tariff on $21.5 billion of imported US goods, an average of 9.64% according to the International Trade Centre.

In any case, motorcycles aren’t the best case study for trade policy. When it comes to transport, tariffs are only one part of the regulatory scheme that can act as barriers to foreign markets. Safety, fuel efficiency, and pollution standards differ from country to country and are often times not in alignment. For instance, many cars manufactured in India are sold without airbags, making them prohibited from import into the US, which requires airbags in all new cars. No level of tariffs will change that.

https://qz.com/921722/the-country-trump-mentioned-with-a-100-tariff-on-harley-davidson-motorcycles-india/

Tariffs are a pretty crude instrument for managing trade. The non-tariff restrictions are much better.

[SummerSnow]

1. I bet it is personal. He hates those who ride Harley's.

[FarCenter]

2. Who is "he"? India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi hates people who ride Harleys?

[DrDan]

3. trump hates them? I don't think so. They tend to be older, white men - his base

[dalton99a]

4. Donald Trump is backed by an ultra-nationalist biker gang, just like Vladimir Putin

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/06/01/how-the-loyal-support-of-biker-gangs-unites-trump-and-putin/
Donald Trump is backed by an ultra-nationalist biker gang, just like Vladimir Putin
By Ishaan Tharoor | June 1, 2016

Donald Trump, the apparent Republican presidential nominee, attended the annual Rolling Thunder rally this weekend in the nation’s capital. The event, now a decades-old tradition, honors veterans and draws thousands of bikers. At this year’s event, some 5,000 bikers motored past the Pentagon to the Mall.

[Demsrule86]

7. I have to say how does India get way with this? And also Japan with the autos...what Trump did is

dumb...but you can see how unfair trade policies are to us in general.

[gratuitous]

5. Think, think: Are there any prominent politicians from Wisconsin?

Like, maybe, the Speaker of the House?

[Demsrule86]

6. There is no doubt our trade policy needs work...it does not protect American manufacturing as other

countries do with protectionist schemes...but the way Trump did it is stupid. Autos need way more support with the unfair trade policy in Korea, Germany, China and Japan...this will hurt the autos which has good paying jobs. Steel does not have good paying jobs these days...although dumping should never be allowed. This will hurt manufacturing in general.