Trump’s tariffs affect Nintendo’s Switch 2 shipments

At the beginning of April, gaming enthusiasts received the news that Nintendo had suspended pre-orders for the Switch 2 console in the United States. The decision was made as the company assessed the potential impact of President Trump's newly imposed tariffs on Japanese imports.

Nintendo confirmed that the release date for the Switch 2 is still scheduled for June 5, 2025, despite the delay in the availability of pre-orders. On the same day, President Trump announced a 24 percent tariff on Japanese goods, prompting the electronics company to rethink its sales strategy.

In a statement, Nintendo explained: “Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start on April 9, 2025 to assess the potential impact of tariffs and changing market conditions.” 

Reaction to 90-day tariff pause

President Donald Trump's “90-day pause” on high tariffs for many countries could be good news for Nintendo. The postponement is an opportunity for the company to ship more Switch 2 units from Vietnam to the US. And customs data reported by Bloomberg suggests that the company has already stockpiled Switch 2 units from Vietnam this year ahead of the console's June 5 launch date.

Concerns over the tariffs

Before the break, the Trump administration had imposed tariffs of 46 percent on Vietnam, where Nintendo manufactures some of its hardware. Concerns over the tariffs prompted Nintendo to postpone the planned date for Switch 2 pre-orders in the U.S. to April 9. At the moment, a 10 percent tariff is still in place for countries that have not retaliated against Trump's tariffs. Therefore, all consoles shipped to the US from Vietnam will be subject to a lower tariff than before for the time being.

Nintendo has already said it has shipped “some” Switch 2 stock to the US, which could help the company get ahead of expected high demand for the console. According to Bloomberg, one of the main manufacturers of the Nintendo Switch 2 in Vietnam has significantly increased the number of units it has shipped to the US in recent months.

Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/646693/trump-tariffs-pause-nintendo-switch-2