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Comment by alehul | Hacker News Reader

> Export restriction rules “essentially deputize FedEx to police the contents of the millions of packages it ships daily even though doing so is a virtually impossible task, logistically, economically, and in many cases, legally,” it said in a filing.

Then don't export? Leave it to another company willing to take that risk and inconvenience, and price international shipping in accordance with that risk and inconvenience.

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Why should the burden of these restrictions and policing falls upon a private company? If the government decides to apply additional restrictions under the pretense of national security, then it should foot the bill.

The government doesn't pay any bills whatsoever! The taxpayer does.

In this case, should all taxpayers foot the bill, or should only exporters?

All taxpayers. We're the ones indirectly responsible for the government that imposes the unreasonably trade-disrupting regulations, and it's in everyone's interest that we be able to export smoothly (not just that of the exporters themselves).

All taxpayers should. They chose the government, and they're responsible for it. If you don't like footing the bill for a crappy policy, then do a better job voting.

All taxpayers should, because the entire US economy would collapse without cost-effective export shipping. Also, the issue is less of who pays and more of the strict liability. I don't think FedEx would mind implementing commercially reasonable measure to check high-risk packages--like customs does--but the issue is that they are now in the business of interpreting the law, and if the government disagrees they get in trouble.

It's impossible for a carrier to check every package, nor is it legal in many cases. CBP can't check every vehicle at every point of entry, no one can.

You can make whatever regulations you want, but some impossible things are impossible.

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