Multiple game categories, books, and magazines were targeted in the latest round of tariffs of up to 25% on imports from China announced by the Trump administration on Friday. The tariffs will affect geek categories including board, card, miniature, and roleplaying games; comics and graphic novels; and toys.
For companies that use Chinese manufacturing to produce products sold in the U.S., a 25% increase in costs will require some hard decisions about sourcing, pricing, profit margins, and product design. Higher retail prices would likely follow.
The products appeared in a list of "tariff subheadings" from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative giving notice of a legally required commenting period and public hearing on the new tariffs. Once that process is complete, the tariffs can be imposed.
The latest round of tariffs came as the result of unsuccessful negotiations on a new bilateral trade agreement. China retaliated to the U.S. announcement with tariffs on $60 billion in imports from the U.S., according to the New York Times. Negotiations are continuing, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said today. Investors turned pessimistic on the news, driving the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 617 points Monday.
Up to 25%
Posted by Milton Griepp on May 14, 2019 @ 1:47 pm CT