The Chicken Tax: How Frozen Chicken Parts Led to the Dominance of American Trucks

After World War II, Germany imported frozen American chicken, leading to a trade dispute and the imposition of a 50% tax on American chicken by the German government. In retaliation, the United States implemented the "chicken tax," a 25% tariff on primarily commercial goods carrying vehicles, including pickup trucks. This tax effectively made foreign trucks too expensive to compete in the American market, allowing American trucks to dominate the industry. The chicken tax has stayed in place for over 50 years, even though American trucks are now so good that it would take a long time for the rest of the world to catch up.