Toilet Tariffs, Potty Politics?

An obsession with hygiene also comes with great respect for the Japanese toilets that play musical tunes or warm up the seat when you sit down. The question was then asked, why don't we have some of these fantastic devices here in the U.S.? Answer: the $600 price tag. This lead to suspicion of trade barriers put up by the U.S. government where blocking the importation of such devices and an analysis of U.S. trade policy was conducted.

A ceramic toilet imported into the U.S. faces a 5.7 percent to 5.8 percent customs duty. If you were just to import a plastic toilet seat the customs duty rate is 3.4 percent. Most duty rates are assessed based on what the product is made of, so a sterling silver or a gold plated toilet seat (or other precious metal) would face a duty rate of 3 percent.

The U.S. obviously is more concerned about a toilet paper shortage versus a toilet shortage since the importation of toilet paper is duty free. (It even has its own separate classification number!)

There's no anti-"dumping" duties assessed on any of these products. I really don't think a 5.8 percent duty rate is steep enough to prohibit the importation of musical toilets to the U.S. from Japan. And if you set up a manufacturing facility in Mexico they would come in duty free because of NAFTA.

Even if you were purchasing a toilet from Japan, say you were purchasing a $2,000 toilet, the maximum custom duties is $139, which I think most people would pay if they were willing to spend $2,000 on a toilet.

Just some things to ponder the next time you sit on the porcelain bowl.