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Tariffs can raise a tabletop publisher’s cost before a game reaches a U.S. store, but they do not translate into one automatic price increase for every game. The effect depends on the product’s customs classification, country of origin, import timing and the publisher’s choices. In April and May 2025, some publishers described price increases, possible product cancellations and production uncertainty. Those reports are not a measure of what every game costs now: policy changed after the early-2025 announcements, and the available official record does not establish one current rate for all tabletop products.
How tariffs can affect a game’s price and availability
A tariff is an import tax paid to customs by the importer of record. That may be a publisher or another importing business. The tax is charged at import; the importer then decides how to respond commercially. It might absorb some cost, raise prices, change a product’s components, delay or pause production, or stop making a title. Retailers may also make their own pricing and assortment decisions.
These are possible ways the cost can travel through the supply chain, not a guaranteed pass-through to shoppers. The cited publisher statements document individual companies’ choices and expectations; they do not establish what share of tariff costs the tabletop industry has passed on to consumers.
Why there is no single tariff rate for “tabletop games”
Customs duty depends on the product’s Harmonized Tariff Schedule classification and country of origin, as well as the rules in force when it is imported. A game’s name or retail category alone is not enough to determine its duty. The trade association guide identifies HTS 9504.90.60 for board games, but warns that classification can be complex. Its tariff descriptions date from May 2025 and should not be used as a current import calculation; the guide also says it is not legal advice or formal guidance.
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That distinction matters for products with different contents. A box combining cards, a board, dice and miniatures should not automatically be treated as identical to a printed RPG book, and a book should not be assumed to receive the same classification as a boxed game. A product-specific answer requires the current HTSUS schedule, the actual product and its origin; importers may need a customs broker’s determination.
What the April 2025 publisher survey found—and what it did not
Cardboard Edison surveyed publishers from April 9–11, 2025, while announced tariff figures were changing. Sixty-two publishers responded; the report’s analysis covered 61 U.S. publishers that printed games in China all or some of the time. It asked about a hypothetical continuation of unusually high tariffs on China. Its results describe publishers’ stated intentions in that scenario, not realized production, consumer prices or the industry’s position in October 2026.
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- On average, respondents identified 4.7 categories they currently made and 3.6 they would make under the surveyed scenario.
- Twenty-three percent fewer respondents said they would make board games under the scenario. That is a change in stated intention, not a measured decline in output.
- Forty-one percent said they would print smaller games if the China tariffs continued.
- The report found fewer publishers saying they would make dice games (41% fewer), thematic games (36% fewer), gateway games (33% fewer) and family games (19% fewer) under the scenario. These are survey comparisons, not observed changes in the number of titles produced.
The survey’s format comparison suggests why component mix can matter to publishers’ plans. Respondents viewed card games—with lower manufacturing costs and higher margins—as just as interesting, while dice-heavy and thematic games with more expensive components became less appealing. That is a relative outlook in one dated hypothetical, not proof that card games are tariff-proof or that RPG books receive the same customs treatment as boxed games.
How the evidence differs by format
| Format | What the April 2025 survey says about publisher outlook | What it establishes about current customs treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Board games | Twenty-three percent fewer surveyed publishers said they would make them in the high-China-tariff scenario (Cardboard Edison, April 2025). | No current item-specific rate is established. The May 2025 trade association guide lists HTS 9504.90.60 for board games but cautions that classification can be complex. |
| Card games | They remained just as interesting to survey respondents in the hypothetical, which the report associated with lower manufacturing costs and higher margins (Cardboard Edison, April 2025). | Not stated for a specific product; classification and origin must be checked under current rules (trade association guide, May 2025). |
| Boxed tabletop RPG starter sets | Not stated as a separate category in the survey (Cardboard Edison, April 2025). | Not stated for a specific set; a mixed-component box should not be assumed to have the same classification as a book or another game (trade association guide, May 2025). |
| RPG books | Not stated as a separate category in the survey (Cardboard Edison, April 2025). | Not stated for a specific book; the reviewed guide’s board-game classification does not establish the classification or current duty for printed RPG books. |
What publishers said about prices and products in 2025
In a statement published May 15, 2025, Hachette Boardgames USA said it was increasing prices across most of its catalog and might discontinue products that could not support a price increase. That describes the company’s announced response at the time, not current prices or a policy adopted by every publisher.
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Chaosium said on April 4, 2025, that it expected to raise prices for books and board games and described itself as the importer required to pay tariffs when goods entered the United States. It wrote: “Whatever your opinion of these policies, no one disagrees that this situation has created extreme disruption and uncertainty for tabletop games publishers as we try to print books and board games and get them to you.” The company also said: “We simply cannot afford to absorb the cost of these additional tariffs.” These statements are dated expectations, not a current price list.
Cardboard Edison’s report also quoted Dan Kobayashi of Ninja Star Games saying, “This tariff will deter us from exploring larger, more expensive games.” Anne-Marie De Witt of Fireside Games said, “We’ll be taking a closer look at number and cost of components, but we’ll still stay true to our brand in terms of types of games and game play.” Both comments describe publisher thinking reported in the April 2025 survey context, not guaranteed outcomes for later releases.
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What changed after the early-2025 tariff announcements
The policy figures discussed in early-2025 reporting should not be carried forward as current rates. The White House’s August 11, 2025 executive order described an earlier temporary 90-day suspension scheduled to expire on August 12, 2025; it is a historical action, not a current tariff quote. The USTR Presidential Tariff Actions index records later actions and agreements, including developments in 2026. The White House’s May 17, 2026 China fact sheet describes agreements and commitments, but does not give a tabletop-specific classification or rate.
As of October 2026, those reviewed official records do not establish one current “Trump tariff” percentage for board games, card products, RPG books or mixed-component sets. They also do not settle the duty on a particular item made in China or elsewhere. A current answer for a specific shipment must be checked against the HTSUS and applicable actions using that product’s classification, origin and import date.
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What shoppers can reasonably infer
A particular title may become more expensive, arrive later, change components or disappear if its publisher decides the economics no longer work. The 2025 company statements and survey show that these concerns were real for some businesses at that time. They do not show that every tabletop product went up in price, that every publisher halted production, or that a current tariff amount is already embedded in a game’s shelf price. A country-of-origin label alone is not enough to calculate the duty; the product classification and rules at the time of import matter too.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
