Raimey, I don't believe there ever was a successful, legal method of circumventing the tariff on goods coming from behind the Iron Curtain, which included guns made in East Germany. At least that's what's indicated in the text of "Buxton's Guide to Foreign Firearms", dated 1963. At that time, the tariff on a shotgun imported from a "free world" country was 15%; from a Communist country, 65%. However, Merkels were available in West Germany--but at a much higher price than their East German export price. For example, on a 200E in 1963, E. German export price was $152; W. German retail, $286. Once they were in W. Germany, they could then be exported to the States, thus avoiding the 65% tariff--but still subject to the higher W. German retail price, plus the 15% "free world" import tariff.
