The Tax Take: The direct approach

American business has a directness of approach which many of us in Europe would do well to copy

Us president Trump imposes tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. The EU retaliates by applying tariffs on a range of all-American products – sweetcorn, cranberry juice, bourbon whiskey, cotton goods, motorbikes and (bizarrely) playing cards. If Mom’s apple pie had a separate customs classification, it would surely have been included. American business immediately responds. Last week, Harley-Davidson stated that it might have to ramp up its production levels outside the US to sidestep ...