Amid tariff woes, 8BitDo stops shipping product from China-based warehouse to US customers
The US tariff situation is a constantly developing story, but I think most would agree this is euphemistic at best; there's only so much Warhammer miniatures can explain. Since their announcement in early April, these tariffs have created a logistical nightmare for both major players and smaller businesses alike.
As a result of retaliatory tariffs on Chinese goods soaring as high as 145%, 8BitDo has temporarily suspended shipping stock from its China-based warehouse to the US (via Polygon). Scoop up one of the company's controllers into your shopping basket, enter a US-based delivery address, and you'll potentially be told 'Your order cannot be shipped to the selected address.'
8BitDo is known for colourful bits of kit, like the Ultimate 2C wireless controller, and quirky peripherals, like the Retro Mechanical Keyboard. Not every product available on 8BitDo's website is affected, as some items will still ship from the company's US-based warehouse.
However, there's currently no indication where specific stock is based on any of 8BitDo's product pages, so you won't know until you try to checkout. As the tariff situation is so tumultuous, it's unclear how long US-based customers will be unable to buy a selection of 8BitDo's stock. At time of writing, 8BitDo's landing page only specifies that the company's China warehouse will "be closed from 1st to 5th May 2025 for Labor Day and the shipment will be resumed on 6th May 2025."
Like I said, 8BitDo is neither the first nor the last business having to make a call like this. Just for a start, Nintendo initially postponed announcing US pricing for the Switch 2 in light of the tariff situation, before more recently committing to a $450 price tag for the base console. Peripherals, like the Joy-con 2 controllers, will instead be pricier to bear the brunt of "changes in market conditions." Apple moved quickly, reportedly airlifting 600 tons of iPhones out of India—only for tariffs to get put on a 90-day pause.
But those are some of the aforementioned major players, and for the littler guys the tariffs represent a potentially very bleak future. For one devastating example, board game publisher CMON had to put a number of their projects on hold and lay off staff. With board game makers particularly badly hit, the creators behind Wingspan even announced plans to 'sue the president'.
It's clear to see the tariffs have already created widespread disruption. It's impossible to tell exactly how this situation will shake out, but I have the sense that it's going to get worse before it gets better.
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