A Import Question

[wiggins]

Hi
I've recently moved to the UK, and to put it politely, the UK is a horrible place for anime and manga. I want to import anime and manga from the U.S. The last time I tried to import a video game for my PS2 since it is a US one, and ended up having to pay something called VAT, which made me pay almost the full price of what I had bought the game for on top of what I had already paid. That really bites, so could someone explain to me all the different charges, regulations and stuff related to importing anime and manga from the U.S.? I did try to research on the internet, but it was too confusing... Thanks!
Wiggins

[Gypsy]

Stink. I'm not really sure how that works ...

[Michael]

<Strange... because the Philippines is a third-world country and yet, anime is in no short supply.>

Yeah, but is it legal?

[Lochaber Axe]

For one, the Phillipines was once a possession of the US until 1946, so there would be less resistance on US imports. Also, the country is just south of Japan. Oh, and talking about your question, more than likely you are paying a tariff on US imports. A tariff is a tax on imported products. It is mostly helpful for manufacturers, but is harmful to food producers since it gives little protection in the World Market. The US used to have a huge tariff until the progressive movement of the last of the Nintieth Century and the Turn of the Twentieth Century lowered the tariff in the Underwood Tariff Act and by initiating the Sixteeth Amendment that created a nationwide income tax. Both of these were pushed by Democratic President Woodrow Wilson early in his presidency before World War I.

I doubt you care about US history but there is probably a tariff on imports in the UK. Do you also have an income tax?

[wiggins]

I dunno. Won't somebody help me out? Please? I did try, but got even more confused. Thanks!

[Straylight]

I'm afraid it is terrible. The best way of getting hold of stuff is to scour Ebay. I buy a lot of my anime for Forbidden Planet in Manchester, and a shop in Chinatown. (Manchester sells quite a lot of anime). I think there's a Chinatown in London -- might be worth a lot. There's also Oriental City (Youhan Plaza) - this is in london and is fairly legendary with the otaku. It's a Japanese shopping center. You'll find LOADS of stuff in there.

[Gremio]

Trust me, you have no idea! if you think mainland UK is bad you should see Northern Ireland, though still part of the UK we get NO anime at all, save pokemon *rolls eyes*. The only way I get it is Ebay, and even then its rare to get any genuine anime and not pirated, and manga is very rare too.

Theres always anime nation online.
Good luck and G-d bless.