Comments on: The great butter mystery http://www.26econ.com/the-great-butter-mystery/ Online economics Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:26:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Marko http://www.26econ.com/the-great-butter-mystery/#comment-6923 Marko Sat, 03 May 2008 14:52:37 +0000 http://www.26econ.com/the-great-butter-mystery/#comment-6923 This protectionism Japan is practicing in certain food items has also previously made the people here suffer, last time I remember it was rice when the domestic harvest was poor... I come from a country where there has always been more over production of butter than shortage of it - Finland. But, with this kind of tariffs Japanese cannot import butter from Finland, Denmark, Sweden nor any other large producer of dairy export products. As Aaron mentioned, you cannot find imported butter in shops in Japan. My friends here in Nagano have European style restaurants. They would choose to buy European butter, which is tastier and more suitable for their food, but so far it has been impossible, and now they cannot even use the domestic one... We all know how slow Japanese government is in making decisions, therefore this is not changing for long time, if ever... This protectionism Japan is practicing in certain food items has also previously made the people here suffer, last time I remember it was rice when the domestic harvest was poor…

I come from a country where there has always been more over production of butter than shortage of it - Finland. But, with this kind of tariffs Japanese cannot import butter from Finland, Denmark, Sweden nor any other large producer of dairy export products.

As Aaron mentioned, you cannot find imported butter in shops in Japan. My friends here in Nagano have European style restaurants. They would choose to buy European butter, which is tastier and more suitable for their food, but so far it has been impossible, and now they cannot even use the domestic one…

We all know how slow Japanese government is in making decisions, therefore this is not changing for long time, if ever…

]]> By: John B. Chilton http://www.26econ.com/the-great-butter-mystery/#comment-6094 John B. Chilton Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:04:01 +0000 http://www.26econ.com/the-great-butter-mystery/#comment-6094 Perhaps Last Tango in Paris was on TV. Perhaps Last Tango in Paris was on TV.

]]> By: Chief Debt Officer ( http://www.26econ.com/the-great-butter-mystery/#comment-5219 Chief Debt Officer ( Wed, 09 Apr 2008 03:22:42 +0000 http://www.26econ.com/the-great-butter-mystery/#comment-5219 Aaron, You are right, so am I. The actual tariff is 29.8% plus 1,159Yen per kilogram. If the import price is 150Yen per kilogram, they would charge 1203Yen per kilogram for tax, which is 802%. Aaron,

You are right, so am I. The actual tariff is 29.8% plus 1,159Yen per kilogram.

If the import price is 150Yen per kilogram, they would charge 1203Yen per kilogram for tax, which is 802%.

]]> By: aaron http://www.26econ.com/the-great-butter-mystery/#comment-5216 aaron Wed, 09 Apr 2008 01:44:04 +0000 http://www.26econ.com/the-great-butter-mystery/#comment-5216 CDO: I looked it up on the WTO website. It's kind of complicated but it seems Japan's tariff on butter is 29.8% plus about 1,000 yen per kg. Individual countries might have trade agreements that override this I guess. Anyway, it seems pretty high. CDO: I looked it up on the WTO website. It’s kind of complicated but it seems Japan’s tariff on butter is 29.8% plus about 1,000 yen per kg. Individual countries might have trade agreements that override this I guess. Anyway, it seems pretty high.

]]> By: Chief Debt Officer http://www.26econ.com/the-great-butter-mystery/#comment-5214 Chief Debt Officer Wed, 09 Apr 2008 01:16:53 +0000 http://www.26econ.com/the-great-butter-mystery/#comment-5214 The tariff rate of imported butter is 800-900% in Japan. I believe this protectionism is for margarine producers, not for farmers. CDO The tariff rate of imported butter is 800-900% in Japan.

I believe this protectionism is for margarine producers, not for farmers.

CDO

]]> By: Chewxy http://www.26econ.com/the-great-butter-mystery/#comment-5185 Chewxy Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:02:50 +0000 http://www.26econ.com/the-great-butter-mystery/#comment-5185 And you made me hungry... you And you made me hungry… you

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