The Unfolding Saga of US Tariffs on Chinese Goods: A Pain in the Gamer's Butt
In light of tariff troubles, 8BitDo halts shipment of goods from Chinese warehouse to American clientele.
The US tariff story is one hell of a rollercoaster ride, and let's face it, it's not exactly the Warhammer miniatures show we were hoping for. Ever since the tariffs were announced back in April, they've been causing nothing but a logistical headache for bigwigs and small fries alike.
Take the case of 8BitDo, a company known for vibrant gaming knick-knacks like the Ultimate 2C wireless controller and the Retro Mechanical Keyboard. Their China-based warehouse is currently off-limits to US shipments. Try to grab one of their controllers and punch in a US delivery address, and you might get a bitter taste of tariff trouble—a potentially frustrating "Your order cannot be shipped to the selected address" message.
However, not all 8BitDo products are unavailable. Some goodies are still up for grabs from their US-based warehouse. The caveat? You won't know till you try to checkout as there's no detailed overview of where stock is tied up on the product pages. The tariff situation is as volatile as a wild west shootout, so it's anybody's guess how long US customers will struggle to bag a selection of 8BitDo goodies.
8BitDo isn't the trailblazer here; they're just the latest in a growing line of companies forced to make tough calls like this. For instance, Nintendo temporarily held off announcing US pricing for the Switch 2 in view of the tariff chaos and later agreed to slap a $450 price tag on the base console. Peripherals, like the Joy-con 2 controllers, are expected to take the brunt of market conditions price hike. Apple, being the tech titan it is, supposedly trucked 600 tons of iPhones out of India—only to see tariffs put on hold for 90 days.
But what about the small fries? The tariffs paint a particularly dismal picture for board game publishers and makers. CMON, for one, had to park several projects and cut down on staff. Wingspan's creators even went so far as to mull over filing a lawsuit against the President.
The writing's on the wall: tariffs are wreaking havoc. It's hard to predict the final act in this drama, but my gut feeling is that it's gonna get worse before it gets better.
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Author's Corner
Jess Kinghorn with ten years under her belt writing about games has graced the pages of PLAY and Official PlayStation Magazine. When she's not delving into hardware here, she's snuggled with a horror classic, lecturing an unwilling audience about a cult favorite, or fiddling with tabletop tomfoolery.
- The tariff crisis has put 8BitDo in a tough spot, as their China-based warehouse is currently unable to ship products to the US, leaving customers with a potential "Your order cannot be shipped" message.
- While some 8BitDo products are still available from their US-based warehouse, customers face uncertainty as there's no detailed information about product availability.
- The tariffs have forced companies like 8BitDo to make tough decisions, with Nintendo temporarily delaying US pricing announcement for the Switch 2 and anticipated price hikes for peripherals like the Joy-con 2 controllers.
- The situation is particularly challenging for board game publishers and makers, with CMON halting projects and cutting staff, and Wingspan's creators considering a lawsuit against the President.
- As the author of this gaming-focused article, I can't help but worry that tariffs will continue to cause chaos and hardship for both big and small players in the gaming industry.
