The Game Manufacturers Association has made an official announcement regarding the recent United States trade tariffs. The organization has declared that they oppose the US’ 54% tariff on Chinese Goods, stating that they will severely impact the entire US tabletop industry.
The Game Manufacturers Association and the US Trade Tariffs
In an official press release, the Game Manufacturers Association explains its stance on opposing the newly implemented US trade tariffs. It states that the United States’ 54% tariff on Chinese products imposed by the Trump Administration is dire news for the tabletop industry. This is because the vast majority of tabletop game manufacturing depends on producing the product overseas and then importing it to the US.
This will have devastating consequences on the tabletop industry. First is the obvious: trade tariffs are essentially taxes on the consumer. not the countries being affected. This is because, while the tariffs only affect import cost, publishers will pass this extra cost on to consumers. At best, this means prices for imported products will skyrocket. At worst, it will cause smaller companies to cease operations altogether.
The Game Manufacturers Association is not alone in this assessment. The ESA (Entertainment Software Association) has stated these trade tariffs would cause “significant harm to everyday Americans” and to the videogame industry itself.
The Game Manufacturers Association’s statement adds further economic context. Nearly one-third of all US consumer goods are imported. This includes food, clothing, certain appliances and cars, and entertainment electronics like videogame consoles. Think the new Nintendo Switch 2 has a hefty price point? It may be a sign of what is to come. To quote the release,
Not only will game prices rise, but everything will become more expensive, reducing discretionary income for entertainment items like games. This one-two punch is likely to put many of our members out of business or force them to downsize and lay off employees to survive. This will have ripple effects across all segments of the industry.
The US lacks the production capacity to quickly ramp up and create replacement products at affordable prices, contrary to the administration’s beliefs. This policy is not well thought out and is doomed to fail. It will have major repercussions throughout the US economy and could lead to a recession.
In response to how these trade tariffs will impact the tabletop industry the Game Manufacturers Association will continue to oppose them publicly alongside calling on the US Congress to, “avoid wrecking the US economy in a misguided tariff war that is neither necessary nor needed.”
The presser ends with a call to action for all US citizens to call upon their own local representatives and senators
