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Steve Jackson Games’ CEO, Meredith Placko, has characterized the impending 54 percent tariff on goods imported from China, set to take effect on April 5th, as a significant turning point for the board game sector, emphasizing that “prices are destined to rise.”
In a recent blog post, Placko outlined the repercussions of this tariff on product costs. She explained that the manufacturing price of a game that cost $3 last year could soar to $4.62 before the shipping costs are factored in. It effectively means that a game previously priced at $25 could escalate to as high as $40, a shift that she describes not as a mere luxury adjustment, but rather as “survival math.”
Placko noted that the absence of manufacturing infrastructure in the US is a major reason for reliance on overseas production. While she acknowledged the potential benefits of tariffs as part of a long-term strategy to enhance domestic manufacturing, she criticized the lack of a national framework to support the production of products like those her company creates.
In light of these developments, Placko has encouraged the community to communicate their concerns to elected representatives, questioning how such policies benefit American small businesses and creators, stating, “At present, it feels as though they do not.”
The Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) has echoed this sentiment, labeling the 54% tariff on Chinese imports as catastrophic for the tabletop gaming industry and broadly for the US economy. GAMA expressed its concern regarding the potential repercussions in a statement attributed to Polygon.
Card-grading company PSA has also responded to the tariffs by temporarily halting direct card grading submissions from outside the US.
Additionally, Hasbro’s CEO Chris Cocks previously remarked to Yahoo Finance that such high tariffs would not be sustainable for the company, necessitating price increases to maintain viability.
Source
www.theverge.com