We Need Consumer/Retail Free Trade

[dumpthemonarchy]

In regard to shopping outside of Canada, I was taken back when a number of customers said they did their Christmas shopping months ago in the USA because everything is so much cheaper there. We just never go there for any reason.

I used to think things were cheaper in the US too, but with all the extra costs and regulations iinvolved, it's not. Not for consumers or small business people.

It leads me to conclude,

People don't think about the economic system were in, the capitalist system, as long as they have a job to buy what they want. Canadians are willing to pay the price of being Canadian, which is understood to be more, but corporations are not, and far more aggressively are willing to pursue their interests through politics.

Consumers just want the lowest price which works more in the interest of big corporations and against small business. Reducing tariffs and duties on consumers supports consumer/small retail free trade in a simple way. Maybe it would produce anarchy, but I think not.

 

[YukonJack]

American gasoline is SURE cheaper than Canadian. Even after conversion. And as an added bonus, American gas, being cleaner, gives you a MUCH, MUCH better milage per tank.

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

American gasoline is SURE cheaper than Canadian. Even after conversion. And as an added bonus, American gas, being cleaner, gives you a MUCH, MUCH better milage per tank.

Some things are definitely cheaper in the US like gas, and that would change our tax structure, which is different in every country. But now, as many people who want to get gas in the US because there is no way for the govt to check. Those things it can check, it does. Seems inconsistent.

 

[AnnaG]

Lots of people from around here go south and do shopping. Gas is cheaper, dairy products are cheaper, booze, cigarettes, clothes ($20 for a pair of Levi's in the States and $6 for a turtleneck top. Canada? $60 for Levi's and $20 for the turtleneck. Um, that's women's wear anyway). There's probably a whole lot of cheaper stuff that people hop across the border for, too.

 

[TenPenny]

American gasoline is SURE cheaper than Canadian. Even after conversion. And as an added bonus, American gas, being cleaner, gives you a MUCH, MUCH better milage per tank.

American gas is no cleaner than Canadian gas, but much of it does have ethanol in it, which gives you less mpg when you burn it.

 

[AnnaG]

American gas is no cleaner than Canadian gas, but much of it does have ethanol in it, which gives you less mpg when you burn it.

Um, if there's more ethanol in US gas then it is actually cleaner because ethanol gas burns cleaner than regular gasoline.

 

[TenPenny]

Um, if there's more ethanol in US gas then it is actually cleaner because ethanol gas burns cleaner than regular gasoline.

No, it's not 'cleaner', it's a blend of gas and something else. That doesn't make it cleaner, it makes it less pure.

Fortunately Canada hasn't gotten on the foolish ethanol kick that the US has; the only people who benefit are ADM, Monsanto, and the farmers raking in subsidies.

 

[YukonJack]

Beg to disagree. I travelled thru the United States from Boston to San Diego, from Seattle to Los Angeles, from Miami to Portland, from Jacksonville to New York, and I can tell you that I got far better milage on the American Interstate highways than I ever did travelling on the 401 or the QEW.

 

[YukonJack]

"Fortunately Canada hasn't gotten on the foolish ethanol kick that the US has; the only people who benefit are ADM, Monsanto, and the farmers raking in subsidies."

How about the farmers who grow the corn?

 

[SirJosephPorter]

Some things are definitely cheaper in the US like gas, and that would change our tax structure, which is different in every country. But now, as many people who want to get gas in the US because there is no way for the govt to check. Those things it can check, it does. Seems inconsistent.

Gas prices are almost exclusively determined by how much tax the government takes. Gas in UK is roughly twice as expensive as here (it costs roughly the same number of pence there as it costs number of cents here), that is because UK government takes in more taxes. Same applies to Europe.

As far as gas prices are concerned, we are not badly off at all.

 

[AnnaG]

No, it's not 'cleaner', it's a blend of gas and something else. That doesn't make it cleaner, it makes it less pure.

Look, you say it has more ethanol in it than Canadian gas. Ethanol burns cleaner than just plain gasoline, so if you cut the gas with ethanol, what you burn will burn cleaner. If you meant to say that their gas is mixed with "something else" and not ethanol, then you should have said that.
So what is the chemistry of US gas in comparison to Canadian gas? I'll bet it is a lot cleaner simply because most states have stricter rules about emissions than Canada does.

Fortunately Canada hasn't gotten on the foolish ethanol kick that the US has; the only people who benefit are ADM, Monsanto, and the farmers raking in subsidies.

Mohawk gas has ethanol in it.

 

[AnnaG]

Anyway, a lot of things are cheaper there than here simply because of less tax, so I can't fault people for border hopping. We don't get good value for our tax dollars.

 

[TenPenny]

Look, you say it has more ethanol in it than Canadian gas. Ethanol burns cleaner than just plain gasoline, so if you cut the gas with ethanol, what you burn will burn cleaner. If you meant to say that their gas is mixed with "something else" and not ethanol, then you should have said that.
So what is the chemistry of US gas in comparison to Canadian gas? I'll bet it is a lot cleaner simply because most states have stricter rules about emissions than Canada does.

Mohawk gas has ethanol in it.

Look, you're using the 'burns cleaner' phrase, and I wasn't. Two different concepts.

US gas and Canadian gas are both refined to the standards of the API, they all use the same standards. The only difference is in sulfur content, but most Canadian refineries have switched to ultra low sulfur. Some Canadian refineries have such low sulfur content that they can export gasoline to California, which most US refineries can't do.

 

[AnnaG]

Look, you're using the 'burns cleaner' phrase, and I wasn't. Two different concepts.

:roll: Jack said US gas was cleaner, you refuted that

American gas is no cleaner than Canadian gas

I was under the impression it wasn't that gas is cleaner in Canada to wash hands in, I was under the impression it was cleaner burning. Sorry, if I got it wrong.

US gas and Canadian gas are both refined to the standards of the API, they all use the same standards. The only difference is in sulfur content, but most Canadian refineries have switched to ultra low sulfur. Some Canadian refineries have such low sulfur content that they can export gasoline to California, which most US refineries can't do.

So what's the difference in sulfur content? I can't seem to find a difference.

 

[YukonJack]

Cleaner or not, I do not know. I am not a damn chemist.

But I DO know that in all my travels (roughly 500,000 kms in last four years) I found that American gas, wheter it was purchased in Georgia or Oregon, gave me at least 10% better milage.

Experienced that in a 1990 Bonneville, 1991 Sunbird and a 2002 Sienna.

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

We have higher gas prices to pay for regional development schemes and treaties by govts. This adds up to much more than $25 billion per year.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

Look, you're using the 'burns cleaner' phrase, and I wasn't. Two different concepts.

US gas and Canadian gas are both refined to the standards of the API, they all use the same standards. The only difference is in sulfur content, but most Canadian refineries have switched to ultra low sulfur. Some Canadian refineries have such low sulfur content that they can export gasoline to California, which most US refineries can't do.

I think adding ethanol to the fuel is their way of lowering the sulfur content. Perhaps that is cheaper than switching to ultra low sulfur.

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

Gas prices are almost exclusively determined by how much tax the government takes. Gas in UK is roughly twice as expensive as here (it costs roughly the same number of pence there as it costs number of cents here), that is because UK government takes in more taxes. Same applies to Europe.

As far as gas prices are concerned, we are not badly off at all.

To paraphrase Lady Gaga in her song Bad Romance, as fuel is the focus here.

"Gas gas gas, I need your gas."

The US pursuing poor pulbic policy with such low gas prices, they need to be higher. Why doesn't Obama do it?