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Tariffs can raise the cost of getting a tabletop game into the United States, but there is no single current tariff rate for every board game, card game or role-playing game product. In 2025, publishers described price increases, disruption and possible changes to what they could afford to produce. Those reports show real pressure at the time—not a uniform price rise across the industry, and not proof that the same tariff rates apply in October 2026.
How tariffs can affect a tabletop game’s price and availability
A tariff is an import tax collected from the importer of record when goods enter the country. Publishers or other importers may respond by raising prices, absorbing some of the cost, changing a product’s components or assortment, delaying or pausing production, or deciding not to continue a product. Retailers may also make their own pricing and stocking decisions.
That means a tariff can put pressure on a game’s eventual U.S. price or availability, but it does not automatically translate into a fixed increase at checkout. The available publisher statements do not establish what share of tariff costs was passed on to customers across the industry.
Why there is no one tariff rate for “tabletop games”
The duty on a particular import depends on its customs classification, country of origin and the rules in force when it enters the United States. The trade association guide identifies HTS 9504.90.60 for board games, while warning that classification can be complex; the guide’s May 2025 descriptions are not a reliable quote for a current import bill. A product-specific determination requires the current Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), the product and its origin, or advice from a customs broker. The guide also says it is not legal advice or formal guidance.
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“Tabletop game” alone does not settle the classification. A box may include cards, a board, dice or miniatures, while an RPG book is a different kind of product. The reviewed sources do not establish that a boxed game, a printed RPG book, dice and miniatures all receive the same treatment.
What the available evidence says about different formats
| Format | What the evidence establishes | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Board games | The trade association guide lists HTS 9504.90.60 for board games. Cardboard Edison surveyed publishers who printed games in China all or some of the time. | A current duty rate for a particular game or country of origin; the guide’s May 2025 descriptions are dated. |
| Card games | In Cardboard Edison’s April 2025 hypothetical high-tariff scenario, card games remained comparatively attractive to surveyed publishers. | That card games are tariff-free, currently insulated, or subject to the same classification in every product configuration. |
| Boxed tabletop RPG starter sets | The reviewed sources do not provide a specific classification or current rate for these sets. | That a mixed box receives the same treatment as a board game or a printed book. |
| RPG books | Chaosium said in April 2025 that it expected to raise prices for books as well as board games. | A current rate for printed RPG books, or that their customs treatment matches boxed games. |
For a particular Dungeons & Dragons book, miniature, starter set or game printed in China, the sources here do not resolve the item-level duty. Its classification and origin must be checked against current customs rules.
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What publishers said in 2025—and what the survey measured
Cardboard Edison’s report was based on responses collected April 9–11, 2025, as announced tariff figures were changing. Sixty-two publishers responded; the report analyzed 61 U.S. publishers that said they printed games in China all or some of the time. It asked about a hypothetical continuation of unusually high China tariffs, so its findings describe expectations under that scenario, not measured production or sales and not the 2026 market.
Surveyed publishers expected to narrow their range
- On average, respondents said they currently made 4.7 game categories, compared with 3.6 they would make under the surveyed scenario.
- Twenty-three percent fewer respondents said they would make board games under the scenario. This is a change in stated intentions, not evidence of a 23% fall in board-game production.
- Forty-one percent said they would print smaller games under continuing China tariffs. The report also found fewer publishers said they would make dice games (41% fewer), thematic games (36% fewer), gateway games (33% fewer) and family games (19% fewer) in the scenario.
These are survey comparisons, not observed industry-wide changes. Cardboard Edison reported that card games remained just as interesting to respondents, citing their lower manufacturing costs and higher margins. By contrast, respondents saw dice-heavy and thematic games with more expensive components as less appealing. The result is a difference in publishers’ reported outlook, not evidence that card games are currently unaffected or that the survey predicts how RPG books will fare.
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The survey also captured the trade-off between cost control and a publisher’s creative identity. Dan Kobayashi of Ninja Star Games said, “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 appeared in Cardboard Edison’s April 2025 report and refer to the surveyed tariff scenario.
Examples of publisher responses
Company statements show how tariff pressure could reach products and customers, but they are examples rather than an industry census.
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- Hachette Boardgames USA, May 15, 2025: The company said it was increasing prices across most of its catalog and might discontinue products that could not support a price increase.
- Chaosium, April 4, 2025: The publisher said 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, “We simply cannot afford to absorb the cost of these additional tariffs.”
These statements document what the companies said in 2025; they do not establish current prices, the price of any specific title today, or how every publisher handled costs.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the 2026 policy record does—and does not—tell players
USTR’s Presidential Tariff Actions index includes later trade actions and agreements, including developments in 2026. The White House’s May 17, 2026 China fact sheet describes agreements and commitments, but does not provide a tabletop-specific classification or duty rate. An August 11, 2025 executive order described an earlier temporary 90-day suspension scheduled to expire August 12, 2025; it is a historical action, not a current rate quote.
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For that reason, early-2025 figures such as 125% or 145% should not be treated as today’s rate for a game. The reviewed policy documents do not establish one current percentage for all board games, cards, RPG books or mixed-component sets.
Quick Recap
What consumers can reasonably infer
- Some publishers reported or anticipated price and product-availability pressure in 2025; the examples do not prove every game became more expensive.
- A product’s exposure depends on its classification, origin and the rules that apply when it is imported—not simply on whether it is called a tabletop game.
- The April 2025 survey is useful evidence of publisher concerns under a specific hypothetical scenario, but it is not a measure of 2026 output, prices or sales.
- A current duty for a specific title cannot be inferred from the survey or the dated trade association guide; it requires current, product-specific customs information.
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.
