Mass Trump Tariffs Elicit ESA Statement On Console Prices, Industry Harms – Forbes
Detail of the logo on a Sony PlayStation 5 home video game console, taken on October 29, 2020. … [+] (Photo by Olly Curtis/Future Publishing via Getty Images)President Donald Trump has declared that enormous trade tariffs will soon go into place across a number of countries like Mexico, Canada and others, and while countless industries will be affected, that also includes video games.In a statement that has been shared with Kotaku, the Entertainment Software Association warnings of “significant harm” caused by the tariffs:Update: There is now a modified statement the ESA has issued with some different phrasing:While software, now mostly distributed digitally, would likely escape these tariffs due to their nature, that would not be true of video game consoles and accessories. That could increase the prices of hardware from where we are now, and as a reminder, that would be:Nintendo Switch console is seen at the store in Krakow, Poland on December 30, 2021. (Photo by Jakub … [+] Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)It’s unclear how much prices would increase as a result of these tariffs, but the ESA believes it would be a harmful impact, and for many consumers these prices are already high. I am thinking ahead to what higher prices on consoles might inspire, and that would be:As for the request by the ESA for the administration to “consult with the private sector” about these tariffs, that does not seem likely, as the tariffs appear to be unilaterally implemented and are about to happen seemingly without consulting many industries, many of whom are also issuing statements in this vein.It these tariffs do go into effect and target locations where console and accessory components are important, we may see prices go up almost instantly. We’ll have to wait and see if this actually happens and how much that may affect the industry as a result. Clearly the ESA is not optimistic.Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram.Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site’s Terms of Service. We’ve summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:So, how can you be a power user?Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site’s Terms of Service.
