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Gaming controller company 8BitDo has stopped shipping to the US because of, you guessed it, Trump's tariffs
As an industry that relies heavily on international shipping and manufacturing, gaming looks set to be hit extra hard by the haphazard approach Trump has taken to tariffs
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We don’t know if you’ve heard yet, but the tariffs being imposed by President Trump are causing a bit of chaos around the world. For industries that rely on imports, like video games, for example, it has created a time of unprecedented and largely unnecessary disruption and uncertainty. Some companies are choosing to halt imports to the United States altogether to avoid the tariffs, which is what video game controller and peripheral maker 8BitDo has done.
According to a notice on the company’s website, 8BitDo is suspending all shipments from its Chinese warehouse to US-based customers. This appears to be a direct result of the high tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on imports from China, where 8BitDo’s warehouse is. In early April, the US government announced high tariffs on most items manufactured in China, including video game consoles, which are categorized as Toys rather than Technology, which would have earned them an exemption.
You can still go on the 8BitDo website and browse their items, which include high-quality controllers and keyboards. However, the website will not let you check out if you’ve added certain items to your basket. If an item is currently housed in the US warehouse, it can go ahead, but since most of the company’s stock is shipped from China that severely limits what you can buy.
It is a big blow to video game fans, who are already expecting the Nintendo Switch 2 launch to be disrupted by Trump’s tariffs. It is still unclear just how much the video game industry is going to be impacted by this new trade war, but the tabletop industry is bracing for some dark times ahead.
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