A game that cost $3 to manufacture in China could now cost $5. This means that a $25 board game may soon hit the shelves with a $40 price tag.
a 34 percent tariff on Chinese products went into effect, bringing the total tax rate on Chinese imports to 54 percent. Yet President Donald Trump’s trade war might be just beginning: On Monday, the president threatened to levy an additional 50 percent duty on China.
These additional fees will make Trump’s already bad trade war even worse. The tabletop gaming industry, which makes board games, cards, and role-playing games, is especially spooked.
« The latest imposition of a 54% tariff on products from China by the administration is dire news for the tabletop industry and the broader US economy », the Gaming Manufacturers Association (GAMA) said in a press release last week. « As an industry highly dependent on producing goods overseas and importing them into the US, this policy will have devastating consequences. »
Indeed, China is the dominant force in producing « specialty components like custom dice, injection-molded plastic, and miniatures », Meredith Placko, CEO of Steve Jackson Games, tells Reason. However, it is not the only player. Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic—all members of the European Union, which faces a 20 percent tariff under Trump—are also key producers of high-quality dice, printing, and wood components.
