That's what friends are for
The Association of Harley-Davidson Dealers would like to thank everyone who stood by the US motorcycle manufacturer during the trade dispute between the US and the EU.
(Frankfurt, November 25, 2021) They have the longest-standing democracy in the world—and they are the home of Harley-Davidson: the United States of America. Democracy means that power comes from the people. And in addition to regular elections, there are plenty of ways to do this, including signing petitions on web platforms such as Change.org against things you consider unfair.
Well over 13,000 people took advantage of this option when the EU announced further punitive tariffs against Harley-Davidson, a manufacturer that was not actually involved in the trade conflict with the US. A total tariff of 56 percent would have threatened the existence of around 300 authorized dealers and their approximately 5,000 employees in the EU, as well as leading to fewer and more expensive Harleys in Europe.
Meanwhile, the US motorcycle manufacturer and its European fans can breathe a sigh of relief, as the issue has been resolved. The EU and the US have reached an agreement and settled their trade dispute. From January 2022, Harley-Davidson will once again pay six percent customs duties on every motorcycle imported into the European Union, as will other manufacturers.
„We would like to express our gratitude to everyone who signed our petition on Change.org and shared our concern that competition in Europe could be so grossly distorted,“ says Matthias Meier, CEO of the German-Austrian and European Association of Harley-Davidson Dealers. He adds: „What would Harley-Davidson be without its loyal fans and customers, who always stand by their brand, even in tough times?“
However, in the comments on Change.org, in addition to the loyal fan base, there are also countless signatories who simply found the whole thing massively unfair: they signed because they considered the events to be irresponsible and purely arbitrary, for example. „Today it's Harley, and who will it be tomorrow?“ asked another signatory.
„That's why we would like to thank not only the international Harley community, but all friends of free trade – regardless of which brand they prefer and whether they ride motorcycles at all,“ adds Meier. „On both sides of the Atlantic, Harley-Davidson dealers are now looking forward to the 2022 season and fair competition among motorcycle manufacturers.“
Text & image credits: Sassenbach/Harley-Davidson Association
