Die US-Dealer haben von HD dieses Schreiben bekommen:
Dear Dealers:
I’d like to take this opportunity to give you some additional perspective on our response to the tariffs being imposed by the EU and clarify some inaccuracies that have been reported in the media.To clarify, we are not moving our Kansas City production to Thailand.
Our Kansas City plant is being consolidated into our state-of-the art plant in York, PA. This decision was based on our need to address excess capacity we have in the U.S. Harley-Davidson motorcycles sold in the U.S. will continue to be made in the U.S. Harley-Davidson motorcycles will not be imported into the U.S. from international facilities.On June 22, 2018, the European enacted tariffs on various U.S. manufactured products including Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
The increased EU tariff from 6% to 31% results in an incremental cost of approximately $2,200 per average motorcycle exported from the U.S. to the EU. We do not feel it is acceptable to pass that additional cost on to our dealers or the retail customer and therefore have chosen to take the actions outlined in our 8-k.As we’ve said before, increasing international production to alleviate the EU tariff burden is not our preference, and we are hopeful the U.S. and EU governments will continue to work together to reach an agreement on trade issues and rescind these tariffs, so we do not have to take these extraordinary steps.
This decision was made after very carefully weighing our options and choosing the best decision for our riders, our dealers, our business and brand. As a dealer you are among the greatest advocates for Harley-Davidson. And I share this clarification with you because you can help relay our position and our intention when you’re asked about it, from your customers, your teams, your friends and family. It’s unfortunate that the real facts are not always reported on, and it’s important to us that you know and understand the facts.
Thank you for your continued commitment to our great brand.
Regards,
Dave Cotteleer
VP and Managing Director, U.S. Sales
