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00:00:00 In this section, we learn about how the chicken tax, initially a retaliatory tax on imported American poultry, ended up shaping the modern pickup truck market. After Europe heavily taxed American poultry imports, the United States responded by imposing a 25% tax on certain European imports, including light trucks. This tax was pushed for by American automakers who were already feeling pressure from European imports. The tax applied to light trucks based on the number of rows of seats they had, creating loopholes for Japanese trucks that were sent as rolling chassis and later assembled in the US. Ford also faced consequences years later when their push for the tax resulted in their own Ford Transit Connect vehicles being subject to it. Today, the chicken tax is still in effect. 00:05:00 In this section, the speaker explains how the Chicken Tax, which imposed a tariff on imported light trucks in the 1950s and 60s, has had a lasting impact on the market for trucks. While the tax on brandy dextrin and potato starch has since been dropped due to new trade agreements, European trucks have been decimated in the US market. This also explains the scarcity of K trucks and why foreign-built trucks are still uncommon in the US. The speaker finds it interesting how the Chicken Tax shaped trucks in that era and continues to influence the market today.
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