Retro console maker Anbernic, which specialises in handheld consoles with emulator support, has suspended all shipments between the United States and China, due to the Trump government’s trade tariffs.
As announced, shipments from China to the United States are now burdened with an additional 145% tax, with this put into place to encourage companies to on-shore production within the US, or otherwise rely on US-produced goods. While the tariff situation is constantly evolving, and there have been some caveats placed on certain technologies, video game consoles are not exempt from this tax.
Anbernic has confirmed that it’s directly due to this new tax that it will no longer ship products from China to the United States, starting from today. Those with an existing order will be able to reach out to the company directly for support, but no further orders will be accepted. For now, only products shipped from Anbernic’s US warehouse will be available to US customers.
The company has pledged to publish a revised shopping policy in future, should there be any confirmed updates or changes regarding the current US tariffs – but for now, it will need to cut off much of its shipping, to avoid those higher taxes. The reality, for a company like Anbernic, is that a sudden increase in taxes likely makes sales in the US unprofitable, and therefore non-viable.
Read: Trump’s US tariffs are likely to make board games unaffordable
Until the tariffs are lifted or amended, we expect many other companies may be forced to undertake similar measures, to protect profits and customer service.
At this stage, it’s unclear how long the standoff between the US and China will last, particularly given the odd logic behind the tariffs. It’s believed they’re being put into place to restore manufacturing in the United States, but as many analysts have outlined, there is no clear plan to train workers, establish new factories, or tangibly improve manufacturing capacity in the US.
Meredith Placko, CEO of board game maker Steve Jackson Games recently highlighted these concerns in a blog post, indicating that a need for specialty skills and tools will likely derail on-shoring plans for production of many goods.
“I wish we could [manufacture in the US],” Placko said. “But the infrastructure to support full-scale board game 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, labour, and timelines simply aren’t.”
Specialty consoles like those of Anbernic face a similar battle. The capacity and technical skills aren’t aren’t available in the US – so on-shoring isn’t possible, even if it was desired (and in most cases, it’s most certainly not).
In the coming months, we expect to see a range of other companies joining Anbernic in halting sales to the United States, while the tariff situation continues to evolve. In a world where profit margins are slim, it may simply be that shipping to the United States becomes non-economically viable for the country’s biggest importers. For now, stay tuned to hear more as other companies begin to reckon with the potent impact of the US tariffs on their products.
