I seem to be in a rather talkative mood of late, in large part due to new items being announced, the all-important holiday season approaching, and, of course, tariffs. As of August 22nd, 2025, there still seems to be no adequate resolution to the trade war occurring between the US and certain parts of the world, most notably the two biggest culprits Trump has singled out: Bangladesh and China. Currently, goods imported from Bangladesh into the US face a 37% duty placed upon them, making many products, including diecast collectibles, rather pricey as compared to items released before the trade war brewed up. While the tariffs haven’t made it impossible to import new diecast collectibles into the US, they have made it very expensive even for the well-to-do. For instance, Hobby Master’s recently announced MiG-25 Foxbat MAP will weigh in at $179.99 for the first six months after its roll out, While discounts and free shipping offers can be applied to help soften the blow, the net price is still well above the price a MiG-25 once fetched just one year ago.
On the other side of the ledger, product manufactured in mainland China may face a tariff increase of upwards of 145% if no agreement can be reached, making them all but impossible to import and sell within the US unless the asking price is drastically slashed to clear inventory. Corgi’s upcoming B-17, “Royal Flush”, which is already in the hopper and supposed to show up next month, still has no final wholesale price even though we are one month out from them hitting the streets. Other new introductions face the same predicament, and may need to be diverted to other parts of the world if both countries cannot back down from their present positions.
Thus far, the Trump Administration has signed an executive order extending the current tariff truce with China by another 90 days, moving the expiration date to November 10th, 2025. While this delay helps in the short-term, it isn’t a stay of execution, which means much of the toy industry is still languishing in limbo as to what they can and cannot do. Companies based in China — among them Corgi, Panzerkampf, Legion, Dragon, Waltersons, Air Force 1, Calibre Wings, JC Wings, et al — are in a pickle, and therefore face an uncertain future unless some sort of mutually beneficial agreement can be reached by year’s end between the two warring parties, otherwise these companies face an uncertain future that could include closing. While they can still make product for other parts of the world, the fact remains that the US represents the lion’s share of their business and so this uncertainty can come back to haunt them for the foreseeable future.
For now, we’re going to keep our hand on the tiller, hold our breath as we sail into harm’s way, and act as if nothing has changed even though, for all intents and purposes, they have. We’re not sure where this will all lead but suffice it to say that a good deal of grumbling is already occurring from virtually every sector in the industry unless a satisfactory resolution can be reached between the world’s two biggest economies…and quickly.
It’s interesting to think about how manufacturers might adapt to these tariffs. Could we see a shift in where products are made or changes in production strategies to absorb these costs? It’ll be fascinating to see how the market evolves in response.
The tariff situation you described really highlights how fragile niche markets like diecast collectibles can be when policy shifts. What strikes me is that while high-end collectors may still pay the premium, the broader community could shrink if casual buyers are priced out. It’ll be interesting to see if manufacturers start shifting production to other regions to balance affordability with availability.