According to internal assessments by a “major Apple and Nintendo supplier”, game consoles in the US will still be subjected to the 145% tariff on goods imported from China.
In an assessment seen by Nikkei Asia, the supplier intimated that consoles like Nintendo’s highly anticipated Switch 2 will likely not be exempt from tariffs, even though reports over the weekend suggested tech goods like PCs and smartphones could be spared the additional levy.
That’s because US President Trump has now confirmed Chinese-made electronics will not be exempt but simply moved to a different tariff “bucket,” which means hardware created in China – including Sony’s PlayStation 5 consoles – and PC tech by Apple, HP, Dell, Lenovo, and more, will likely still be impacted.
Consequently, key tech suppliers are rapidly moving production outside China since the Trump administration took office, although right now, the majority of Nintendo Switch 2 consoles are still manufactured in China.
As we’ve learned over the last week or so, this is a rapidly changing situation and may be subject to change, but we’ll keep you updated as best we can.
Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders were delayed from April 9 to May 8 in the US due to the evolving situation of US President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs on imported goods. The console’s launch date of June 5 has not changed.
Find out why contributing editor Rob Fahey thinks tariffs are an industry nightmare, but digital games seem safe – for now.
Even before the furor with tariffs, GamesIndustry.biz spoke to analysts about why Switch 2 prices are so high and how inflation and other factors may have resulted in this decision.