President Donald Trump has enacted insane tariffs at a 10% minimum worldwide, even impacting some places that have no people and just animals, and often even higher tariffs. The impact economically was swift not only tanking markets but also forcing other countries to implement retaliatory actions of their own. The decision has raised uneasy and difficult questions in the comic industry and will sure result in higher prices and force some publishers to close.
In March, Trump implemented a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico after a one month pause and each of those nations agreed to his initial demands. The tariffs went into effect today. Goods imported from Canada and Mexico will be taxed at 25% with energy subject to 10%. Chinese imports have seen their tariffs increased to 20%, doubling the previous 10% implemented in February.
A tariff is a tax imposed by a government on goods that are imported or exported. The tariff is paid by the companies that import the goods to the country and the tariff then goes to the government’s treasury. That increased cost by the importer is then passed down to the consumer in increased prices. Even goods not impacted by tariffs could see increased prices.
It is estimated that over 80% of comics are printed in China and Canada with 80-90% of board games estimated to be manufactured in China. The comic industry, even if printed in the US, relies on paper produced in Canada.
The reaction from the comic and tabletop industry is a mix of anger as well as unknown:
From Steve Jackson Games:
An Important Message From Our CEO of Steve Jackson Games, Meredith Placko
On April 5th, a 54% tariff goes into effect on a wide range of goods imported from China. For those of us who create boardgames, this is not just a policy change. It’s a seismic shift.
At Steve Jackson Games, we are actively assessing what this means for our products, our pricing, and our future plans. We do know that we can’t absorb this kind of cost increase without raising prices. We’ve done our best over the past few years to shield players and retailers from the full brunt of rising freight costs and other increases, but this new tax changes the equation entirely.
Here are the numbers: A product we might have manufactured in China for $3.00 last year could now cost $4.62 before we even ship it across the ocean. Add freight, warehousing, fulfillment, and distribution margins, and that once-$25 game quickly becomes a $40 product. That’s not a luxury upcharge; it’s survival math.
Some people ask, “Why not manufacture in the U.S.?” I wish we could. But the infrastructure to support full-scale boardgame production – specialty dice making, die-cutting, custom plastic and wood components – doesn’t meaningfully exist here yet. I’ve gotten quotes. I’ve talked to factories. Even when the willingness is there, the equipment, labor, and timelines simply aren’t.
We aren’t the only company facing this challenge. The entire board game industry is having very difficult conversations right now. For some, this might mean simplifying products or delaying launches. For others, it might mean walking away from titles that are no longer economically viable. And, for what I fear will be too many, it means closing down entirely.
Tariffs, when part of a long-term strategy to bolster domestic manufacturing, can be an effective tool. But that only works when there’s a plan to build up the industries needed to take over production. There is no national plan in place to support manufacturing for the types of products we make. This isn’t about steel and semiconductors. This is about paper goods, chipboard, wood tokens, plastic trays, and color-matched ink. These new tariffs are imposing huge costs without providing alternatives, and it’s going to cost American consumers more at every level of the supply chain.
We want to be transparent with our community. This is real: Prices are going up. We’re still determining how much and where.
If you’re frustrated, you’re not alone. We are too. And if you want to help, write to your elected officials. You can find your representative and senators’ contact information at house.gov and senate.gov. Ask them how these new policies help American creators and small businesses. Because right now, it feels like they don’t.
We’ll keep making games. But we’ll be honest when the road gets harder, because we know you care about where your games come from – and about the people who make them.
Solis Game Studio‘s statement titled “Tariffs are existential threat to US board game industry“:
Here in the Bay Area of California, over 500 designers, publishers, and retailers are reeling at Wednesday’s announcement of sweeping tariffs. Especially concerning is the proposed 54% tariff on Chinese goods, which comprises the majority of the US’s 2.8 billion dollar hobby games industry.
These tariffs are causing shockwaves across the board game industry nationwide, from large players like Hasbro and Asmodee down to the smallest indie publishers, like us here at Solis Game Studio. The hobby games industry isn’t capable of moving most of their manufacturing base. Board and card games require complex printing processes and materials that are difficult to source in the US – even the few games printed domestically must source paper stock, wood parts, and any plastic from overseas.
“We don’t have the millions in capital to create our own manufacturing centers – we’re small businesses already operating on tight margins. I have 8000 games leaving a factory in China this week and now need to scramble to cover the import bill.”— Chris Solis
Everyone is desperately trying to figure out what to do next. I’ll be running a Tariff Impact sale to discount some products I already have state side to cover the import cost my our next print run.
A joint statement:
President Trump announced sweeping tariffs on Wednesday, tossing many American industries into crisis. One here in the Bay Area: makers of board and card games.
Trump’s proposed 54% tariffs on Chinese goods are an existential threat to these small businesses in the Bay Area – more than 40 retail stores and over 500 board game designers and publishers are located here, most of whom print in China or with components sourced from China.
These tariffs are causing shockwaves across the board game industry nationwide, from large players like Hasbro and Asmodee down to the smallest indie publishers, like San Mateo’s Solis Game Studio. The hobby games industry, which generates over 2.8 billion dollars annually in the US, isn’t capable of moving most of their manufacturing base. Board and card games require complex printing processes and materials that are difficult to source in the US – even the few games printed domestically must source paper stock, wood parts, and any plastic from overseas.
“The passion from game makers across the San Francisco Bay Area is why we exist. If you put in the work to create a great game that people love, you should be able to share it with the world,” says John Velgus, leader of the community organization Golden Gate Gamemakers, which represents more than 500 Bay Area designers and publishers. “These unreasonable tariffs severely limit the creativity and business of game makers everywhere. It’s no longer feasible for most independent designers and publishers to make games. Many of the games made in our community just last year could not be produced under current circumstances. Publishers of all sizes will have to sacrifice gameplay while taking fewer risks, leading to worse products at higher prices.”
Small publishers importing the games are going to be the quickest to feel the squeeze. Many rely on small print runs manufactured abroad and advance funding from crowdfunding websites such as Kickstarter to make ends meet.
“We don’t have the millions in capital to create our own manufacturing centers – we’re small businesses already operating on tight margins. I have 8000 games leaving a factory in China this week and now need to scramble to cover the import bill.” adds Chris Solis, owner of San Mateo based Solis Game Studio. Solis has elected to run a “Tariff Impact Sale” in which they discount some products already in the US to raise money to cover Solis Game Studio’s import costs on their next print run.
Dozens of board game stores in the Bay Area are now faced with an unprecedented cost crisis. Sean Gore, co-owner of Games of Berkeley, says “We as a community-oriented institution will do what we can to weather this, but there’s only so much safeguarding that can be done while having to protect our own operation. We were trying to navigate a way of minimizing [a 20% tariff] but now everyone’s going to have to increase prices accordingly. It’s going to be pretty drastic across the board.”
While prices haven’t risen yet, broader economic impacts are expected as tariffs raise prices and consumers tighten their belts. That too, will be devastating for local specialty businesses.
Clothing company Hero Within:
With the recent announcement of a new ‘Universal Tariff’ applying to all countries, the financial strain on our small business continues to get worst. We are doing everything we can to keep our prices down but it’s becoming an impossibility.
Popular crowdfunding/pre-order platform Gamefound has released a post where it estimated the tariffs would increase the final price of products 10-20% calling the situation an “EXTREME disruption.” They’re already looking to improve their platform with new features like dynamic pricing depending on the country of the buyer, better tools to ask for extra payment, better tools to manage refunds, and creating an information base for creators.
Currently, any crowdfunding project not yet shipped will likely be impacted by this in some way decimating already thin margins.
We’ve asked for statements from comic publishers.
