When a consumer goods country raises tariffs on industrial goods countries, how should it fight back?
Definitely don't get hung up on tariffs.
The historical experience of later generations told Zuo Mengeng that there was a best way.
"Price increase."
"Brother Wang, glass used to cost only twelve taels of silver per ton, but now it costs eighteen taels. It's really too expensive."
"Haha, please be patient, brother. Nowadays, shipping prices have increased, so have the prices of raw materials. The workers at the glass factory are still causing trouble, demanding higher wages, but there is nothing we can do!"
The Fujian businessman looked defeated and looked very confused.
"Shopkeeper, if it really doesn't work out, we won't do this business."
The suggestion from his man made the businessman furious.
"What the hell do you know? This batch of glass belongs to the Ye family, and the papers have been signed. If there is a delay, how can we do business in the future?"
"Then...then the price is too expensive."
The Fujian businessman had a terrible headache. He rubbed his forehead and felt a headache.
"This batch of glass for the Ye family is still at the original price, and the rest...the price has been increased by 30%."
The guy opened his mouth wide.
"With the price increase so much, can it still be sold?"
The Fujian businessman looked very proud.
"Who can live without glass in every household these days? If you don't buy it, you won't even be able to marry your daughter."
With the progress of Xia's glass industrialization, glass products have entered thousands of households in the Ming Dynasty and become a part of people's lives.
After all, glass products have many benefits and greatly facilitate people’s lives.
Apart from anything else, anyone from a well-off family would be embarrassed to see others if they haven't replaced their windows with glass.
In addition, glass mirrors have a wide market.
In many places, when a girl is married off, if there is no mirror in the dowry, she will not be able to hold her head high.
But glass comes from only one place.
That is the Xia Kingdom.
Under such circumstances, glass has no worries about sales.
No matter how much the price increases, people will still consume it.
This is the weapon Xia used to fight back against the Zheng family.
If you raise my tariffs, I will raise the prices of my products.
Anyway, the wool comes from the sheep, and ultimately all costs will be passed on to consumers in Fujian.
tomato
I paid a lot more money for no reason, and there must be a lot of complaints from all over Fujian.
Those consumers will not blame Xia Guo, but will hate Zheng.
The battle for people's hearts and minds will definitely affect the final outcome.
Glass is not the only product that has seen price increases.
Prices of cotton, ceramics, ready-made clothing, and leather have increased across the board.
And these are just the peripheral aspects. The real impact on the Zheng family is the arms trade.
"General Zheng, in view of the increase in the price of steel raw materials, the prices of all artillery and muskets sold to Zheng from now on will be increased by 40%. Business is difficult, please forgive me."
Chen Zhi met Zheng Zhibao and opened his mouth to tell bad news.
Zheng Zhibao was ordered to go north and came to Songjiang Prefecture to prepare to transport the purchased firearms back.
As a result, Chen Zhi opened his mouth on the spot.
The price of each artillery piece increased from the original four thousand taels to five thousand taels, and the price of each musket rose to five thousand taels.
In addition, the prices of bullets and gunpowder have also increased significantly.
Just this time, the Zheng family needed to spend an additional 150,000 taels of silver.
Even though Zheng had already made a fortune, Zheng Zhibao couldn't help but feel frightened when he heard the latest offer.
"Master Chen, no one in the world does this kind of business, right?"
Chen Zhiyun was so calm that he even poured tea for Zheng Zhibao himself.
"Of course you have to do business according to your ability, don't you think so?"
Zheng Zhibao's face was gloomy, he already understood.
Xia Guo's toll increase was definitely intentional, in retaliation for Zheng's increase in tolls.
But if Xia Guo thought that he could make the Zheng family surrender with this method, he would be totally wrong.
"Haha, business cannot be done without mercy. I, the Zheng family, cannot bear this price. But please rest assured, Mr. Chen, from now on, I, the Zheng family, will still treat the merchant ships passing by the Xia Kingdom well."
Is this a threat?
It's the threat.
If you dare to raise the price for me, I might as well not let you pass at all.
Will this threat scare Xia Guo?
Chen Zhi's expression didn't even change at all, as if he didn't hear it.
"Oh, it's such a pity. Our Highness once said that Zheng is Xia's best business partner. If this transaction fails, it will definitely not affect our relationship. It just so happens that the Dutch have been wanting to buy from us.
Artillery, but it’s not easy to make it, so I didn’t agree to it. Now... I don’t want to delay the matter."
Before he finished speaking, Zheng Zhibao's face turned as dark as a dark cloud.
If you threaten me, will I not threaten you?
In the last naval battle at Liaoluo Bay, your Zheng family defeated the Dutch with the help of our Xia Kingdom.
But next time, the Dutch have Xia's artillery and stronger and faster warships, so the outcome will be unpredictable.
"Hahaha, okay, very good! Then I wish Xia Guo a prosperous business and great profits."
Deep in Zheng Zhibao's heart, blood had already surged.
Xia Guo's actions have touched the Zheng family's negative side.
The relationship between the two parties has officially reached a freezing point.
Watching Zheng leave, a stern look flashed deep in Chen Zhi's eyes.
A time of great strife.
Since a fight is inevitable, let's fight for a winner.
Shimabara Peninsula, Aino.
Nearly two months have passed, and Itakura Shigemasa is still stuck here, unable to move forward.
The damn Shimabara pariah, who didn't know what kind of medicine he took wrongly, actually made his army helpless with his crude weapons and armor.
Itakura Shigemasa could already imagine that those Western big names must be hiding in the dark and ridiculing him.
The arrival of the shogunate's messenger yesterday made Itakura Shigemasa extremely panicked.
Tokugawa Iemitsu conveyed new orders to him.
The shogunate has appointed the veteran Matsudaira Nobutsuna as the general, and officially ordered the daimyo of each domain to send troops to replace him to suppress the Shimabara rebellion.
This was not only a change of position, but also meant that he had completely lost Tokugawa Iemitsu's trust.
Is the glory of the Itakura family going to end here?
Itakura Shigemasa was very unwilling to think about the decline of his family and the disappearance of all his glory and wealth.
It will take some time for Matsudaira Nobutsuna to arrive, and this is his last chance.
If he could put down the Shimabara riot during this period, he would be able to restore his impression on Tokugawa Iemitsu.
Thinking of this, Itakura Shigemasa became furious.
"All attacks, no retreat. Otherwise, I will personally chop off his head."
When the Japanese samurai heard that they were about to be beheaded, they were all frightened. They mustered up their courage and launched an unprecedented attack on the Shimabara rebels.
"Itakura Shigemasa finally gave up all his family wealth. The time has come. He ordered the troops on the front line to retreat quickly, but no chaos was allowed."
Yuan Shengsheng finally got the opportunity he had dreamed of.
Following his order, the Shimabara rebels who had been stubbornly guarding the front line retreated one after another.
This retreat caused Itakura Shigemasa to misunderstand.
He thought this was a victory for the shogunate and that the riots that would annihilate Shimabara were imminent.
Overjoyed, he personally mounted his war horse and rushed to the front of the army.
Close!
Closer!
Victory is at hand.
Itakura Shigemasa, who was so overwhelmed with joy, did not notice that more Shimabara rebels appeared in the distance ahead.
The formation of these rebels was more complete, and the front of the formation was also filled with artillery.