I thought globalisation was supposed to mean prices were the same
around the world. No more of these ridiculous price inequalities.
Well not in electronics, they certainly aren't!
I'm looking to a digitial camera and a work colleague showed me the
one he just bought in Malayia for the equivalent of £350.
Beautiful camera! Of course, the price in the UK at the cheapest
available price, it's £500!
Australia isn't looking much better. Even at wholesale prices, the
similar Canon camera is more than it costs in the UK even!
Insane.
The problem, of course, is tarrifs. Now I don't have a problem
with tarrifs, per-se. The problem is that they're applied differently
to different importers.
If you're Canon, you import at well below wholesale price, and pay
taxes accordingly. Then your "local distributor" (a division of your
company) takes their profit cut. Then they sell it.
If you're Joe Net User buying it from the US and having it posted
to you, customs apply a 20% "lift" to the price on the invoice because
they assume you got it at wholesale prices. Then the shipping company
charges you a fee for processing the import duties. Ends up you pay
the same price as you'd pay locally, which is just how they price
it in the shops.
So how about some equal application of tarrifs? Hell, get the
Amazons of the world to collect it for the EU as a whole, but they'll
be sourcing from a lower initial price. That sounds like the kind of
globalisation I'd like!