The Toy Association responded to the Trump administration’s proposed 25 percent tariffs on $300 billion in Chinese imports, which includes children’s toys, saying the proposal would irreparably harm American families, jobs, and businesses.
“The return of a dark tariff cloud threatening the toy and retail communities would sharply increase the cost of toys and cause irreparable harm to companies of all sizes – particularly American small businesses,” said Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of The Toy Association. “We have not relented in our fight against the threat of tariffs and will continue to push back aggressively on these damaging tactics that amount to nothing more than a tax on American families and their children and will lead to projected losses of tens of thousands of U.S. jobs.”
As an industry that brings joy to kids through toys and play, the toy community is banding together to let President Trump know that new tariffs on toys would destroy American businesses—not to mention ruin Christmas, birthdays, and other special occasions for kids. The message to the president is clear: #DontTaxToys!
The TA provides a breakdown on how these tariffs can cause harm:
- Tariffs are taxes that are paid for by American families, businesses, workers, and communities, NOT by other countries. They are paid here, at home.
- Tariffs that have been imposed so far have caused U.S. businesses to lay off workers, raised prices for consumers, hurt American farm exports, and threatened an otherwise productive economy.
- Tariffs on toys would reach directly into the pockets of American families in the form of higher prices and reduced choice and availability.
We understand the administration’s desire hold other countries accountable, but this all-out trade war is the wrong approach.
“We support fair and free trade that protects American intellectual property, our workers, and businesses,” adds Pasierb. “To be clear, any claims that tariffs are or will be paid for by China is a lie. China is not paying these tariffs; rather, American families and U.S. companies are, through higher consumer prices and decreased profits. A fourth round on a range of everyday products will directly tax families even more.”
The Toy Association is aggressively fighting back against tariffs on Capitol Hill and with the administration, and through the nationwide coalition, Americans for Free Trade. Learn more about how tariffs will impact parents’ ability to purchase skill-building toys and games for their kids – visit www.DontTaxToys.com.
The Toy Association is the not-for-profit trade association representing the toy, game, and youth entertainment product businesses that drive the annual $28 billion American toy market.