On the same day Donald Trump announced his now-paused tariffs, Nintendo revealed their latest handheld gaming console Switch 2 would be released on 5 June.
The timing couldn’t have been worse.
After just 48 hours Nintendo paused pre-sales of the $450 console in the US to assess the impact of the tariffs.
China, which now faces US tariffs of 145 per cent, is home to around 30 per cent of Nintendo’s manufacturing operation, serving non-US customers.
Anticipating trade tensions during Trump’s first term, Nintendo moved some of its Switch production to Vietnam and Cambodia from China.
On April 2, both countries were hit with 46 per cent and 49 per cent tariffs on US imports respectively.
The pause on tariffs means Nintendo has a few months to stock up on their US inventory.
Meanwhile consumers can order the new Switch at the original price almost everywhere except the US, Mexico and Canada.
US consumers used to enjoy gadgets at a lower price point than UK customers. Perhaps no longer.
