From what I heard it's not when the game was already in transit..

Any news how European dealers and handling this situation ?
Saw on facebook comments that some dealers stopped all their orders, but also that a JJP dealer was asking their customers on GnR to pay extra..

And I'm not sure about Stern, but I thought their official dealers were obliged to take a certain number of pins of each title - so they won't have a chance to cancel everything and have to buy Stern pins at the increased rate ?

Their borders are much more controlled..

Anyway - the whole situation is a major problem for big importers.

Yes one private person (especially in scandinavian countries) could try to buy a new machine in Norway and literally smuggle it illegally over the border - either by finding a small ungarded country backroad, or by hoping they don't get control when passing the border.
But for dealers who import containers full of pins, these illegal practices are impossible (or much too risky) as the paperwork remains and if they sell dozens of pins they have to be able to show where they got them from.

Almost free - at least compared to other countries.

Just looked up how much the uni I went to charges now - 950eu/yr is standard charge.
If your parents income is low it can get reduced to 500eu/yr and even down to 120 eu/yr.

Non-EU students pay 6000/9000eu/yr depending on their degree.

Books/material are extra but also don't cost thousands..

No you're wrong, VAT is our sales tax. It doesn't get added on top of it.

In all EU countries the tariffs may differ but in general there are three: low, medium, high: around 6 / 11 / 20 pct.

Food and other necessities have 6pct vat (or sales tax as you want to call it). So our milk is also 6pct.
Others goods are 11pct, and luxurious goods have 20 (21, 22, up to 25 depending on the country - but the 25pct in scandinavia is considered as very high by most other countries).

Pinball machines are considered luxurious goods and in most countries you pay around 20pct vat.
Germany lowered their vat temporary from 19 to 16pct because of covid - so earlier this year pinball machines were suddenly cheaper there.

Different here in Europe is that all taxes are included in the price labelled - and not added on top at the cash register.
If something says in the shop it costs 5eu then you pay 5eu.

The vat is paid by the final consumer, companies can deduct it from what they sell.
I know some collectors that have their own company / are contractors and they buy pinball machines on their company and can get the 20pct vat back.

The import tariff now is 25pct, but that is now very exceptional and has nothing to do with our regular vat..

Same article says

Same article says:
He added that “it’s possible” that both sides will reach an agreement by Jan. 20 governing aid to Boeing and Airbus. He reiterated an offer to remove EU retaliatory tariffs on $4 billion of American goods if the U.S. does the same for its duties on $7.5 billion of European products.

So let's hope the rest of Europe follows soon..

Probably because what they have in stock now is bought with the fee, and they don't want to sell with a loss ?

Only new orders (when their stock is sold out) will come in with lower fee, and then we'll hopefully see this..