well, i was wondering...
Aug. 11th, 2006 10:10 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
acroyear...how the "no nothing" restrictions were hitting the shopping centers (especially the duty-free shops) on the other side of the security line in UK airports, but the news reports in the BBC are rather silent on that topic right now. Of course, part of that is the fact that news camera crews can't get to the other side to take a look and do a report. Go fig.
But in hitting the beeb's web site, I did discover there's a bigger, longer-term issue with the concept of duty-free.
It seems the EU has voted to get rid of the concept on the continent. Entirely. No more duty-free at border crossings and possibly none at airports even if you're going to a country outside of the EU. Yes, this makes tax collectors within the continent very happy, but it REALLY will cause a drop in alcohol sales.
Don't think that's a problem? Tony Blair's people estimate that it could close several Scotch and Gin distilleries and potentially 1000 British jobs, as there are several that make the majority of their sales at those shops, particularly with distribution hassles being what they are to ship them to the States.
But in hitting the beeb's web site, I did discover there's a bigger, longer-term issue with the concept of duty-free.
It seems the EU has voted to get rid of the concept on the continent. Entirely. No more duty-free at border crossings and possibly none at airports even if you're going to a country outside of the EU. Yes, this makes tax collectors within the continent very happy, but it REALLY will cause a drop in alcohol sales.
Don't think that's a problem? Tony Blair's people estimate that it could close several Scotch and Gin distilleries and potentially 1000 British jobs, as there are several that make the majority of their sales at those shops, particularly with distribution hassles being what they are to ship them to the States.
