The US government under Donald Trump regularly changes customs policy. While some electronics products such as PCs and smartphones were apparently exempted, the previous regulations continued to apply to game consoles. In the meantime, the situation seems to have changed again.
US customs policy continues to ensure chaos because the conditions change regularly. Donald Trump’s threats to raise tariffs of up to 145 percent on Chinese goods, not least the entertainment electronics – including accessories and game consoles such as Sony’s PS5 or Nintendos Switch 2.
Nintendo could hit it hard
While PCs and smartphones were supposed to be deleted from the list of products affected by the higher tariffs on Friday, there was no question of exceptional regulations for consoles. Also a report of Nikkei Asia hits this notch. The article states that Switch 2 – like other game consoles produced in China – could suffer from the effects of the ongoing trade dispute between the USA and China.
The basis of the report is an internal evaluation memo of a large supplier that supplies both Apple and Nintendo. The prospects for Nintendo’s new console described in it are anything but positive.
According to the memo, the US import customs remain 145 percent of electronics products produced in China. This would hit the Switch 2 sensitive. In response to this, the company decided To move planned pre -ordersin order to better assess the possible consequences on the US market.
According to the report, the majority of the Switch 2 units are still manufactured in China, only a small proportion comes from Vietnam. This dependence makes it difficult to react to the trading situation at short notice. This could also be a reason why pre -orders planned in Canada have recently delayed. An official statement by Nintendo has so far been pending.
Sony reacted to the development With strategic measures. The company shifted large delivery quantities of the PS5 to the USA to avoid the effects of tariffs. At the beginning of the week at the beginning of the week the prices of the console were also increased in several markets. An official message states that the decision is due to a “difficult economic environment”, which includes “high inflation and fluctuating exchange rates”.
Exceptions again
The last word does not yet seem to have been asleep with PCs and smartphones. The US President today followed on social media that “nobody is out of the tailor” and at the same time denied the previously rumored exception: “There was no exception from the tariffs on Friday.”
Overall, the electronic supply chain is the focus of the so -called National Security Tariff Investigations. US trade minister Howard Lutnick told ABC News that a separate “semiconductor custom” was being planned. So far, there are no precise information at the time of the introduction or the amount of the taxes.
“We need semiconductors, we need chips and we need flat screens. These things have to be made in America,” said Lutnick. Also Jamieson GreerThe US government’s trade officer pointed out that one is targeting a “relocation of production” to the United States.
There is still no details about when this semiconductor customs could be introduced or to what extent it will influence the prices.
The developments around the US tariffs ultimately cause great uncertainty in the global gaming industry. After all, the lack of clarity about long -term regulations and the inclusion of new customs categories strategic decisions.
Further reports on Nintendo Switch 2, PS5.
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