Do Tariffs Apply To RPG Books? Maybe, Maybe Not!

When the recent tariffs were announced by the US, panic was the first reaction from tabletop roleplaying game publishers.

This was soon followed by a wave of hope as people shared an official exemption list which included "printed books, brochures, leaflets and similar printed matter in single sheets, whether or not folded" and "printed books, brochures, leaflets and similar printed matter, other than in single sheets" (see codes 49011000 and 49019900). Seemingly, TTRPG rulebooks might escape the tariffs!

However, ICv2 is reporting that this may not be the case. According to a pair of rulings dating all the way back to 1989 and 1991, TTRPG rulebooks are instead classified as "arcade, table or parlor games… parts and accessories thereof". These rulings came from the US Custom and Border Protection agency, and were applied to Columbia Games and West End Games, respectively.

The first ruling was titled "Fantasy Role Play Expansion Modules".

In our opinion, heading 9504 provides the more specific description of the merchandise in issue. The modules enhance fantasy game play; they were not designed for passive reading.

- US Customs and Border Protection, November 1989​

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The second ruling, titled "Fantasy role play games books are expansion modules are designed to enhance fantasy game play, not for passive reading" reads as follows.

As a result of the foregoing, the instant merchandise is classified under subheading 9504.90.9080, HTSUSA, as articles for arcade, table or parlor games, including pinball machines, bagatelle, billiards and special tables for casino games; automatic bowling alley equipment; parts and accessories thereof; other, other, other, other. The applicable rate of duty is 4.64 percent ad valorem.

- US Customs and Border Protection, November 1991​

These rulings are both 35 years old, so there is no guarantee that the same ruling would be made today. This ruling, from last year, classifies a Shadowrun supplement as a book, noting that "This ruling only takes into consideration the books when imported separately." But it does cast doubt on the status of TTRPG rulebooks. Are they books or are they games, according to the US customs agencies? If the latter, TTRPG books coming from China would suffer the same 145% tariff that boxed sets, accessories, and boardgames do. That means that a $30K print run of a few thousand books would incur an additional $43,500 bill when arriving at port in the US--considerably more than it costs to manufacture them in the first place.

Products coming from countries other than China are currently subject to a lower 10% tariff. However, with the speed at which the situation changes, it is impossible for companies to plan shipments to the US. Whatever the tariffs, what is necessary for trade is stability. Most organisations need a lead time measured in weeks--or sometimes months--in order to budget and plan for manufacturing and international shipments, and the tariffs are currently changing on a daily basis. And without even knowing for sure whether TTRPG rulebooks incur the tariff, we may have to wait until the first shipment hits port to find out!

The Shipping Tariff Lottery #shorts

The gamble we face when deciding whether to ship product to the US right now. #Gaming #ShippingChallenges #Tariffs #Kickstarter #GameDesign

www.youtube.com

 

[dragoner]

I think shipping was $4K more ($22K total). But that should be total price to the door, so I assume includes all the fees

It was similar to me, somewhat close to $20k.

 

[Morrus]

I ran another quote, using the cheapest options for a 350 page hardcover full color book
View attachment 402574

That's pretty high.

 

[Belen]

One up in the Fort Wayne-South Bend area of Indiana, though this was around 2021, I think they are out of business now. Who is printing yours?

Sheridan Press.

 

[dragoner]

Sheridan Press.

Out of KY? Looks like their regular run is 2,000.

 

[Sacrosanct]

That's pretty high.

If you order 10,000 books, it goes to $6.554 per book

 

[Belen]

Out of KY? Looks like their regular run is 2,000.

Hanover, PA is my normal location for books and journals.

 

[Morrus]

If you order 10,000 books, it goes to $6.554 per book

That's still more than we're paying per unit for 1,000 books.

 

[dragoner]

Hanover, PA is my normal location for books and journals.

The only other that came up in a search was the newspaper in Wyoming.

 

[Mistwell]

As others have pointed out, volatility is the problem. Businesses aren't going to hold their breath to see where the tariffs net out; uncertainty = "prepare for the worst immediately" and because their timelines are months to years in advance, they are making those pivots now.

As someone who has posted about how tariffs have directly massively damaged me, yes I am aware.
Please don't mistake my correcting a claim someone thinks they know "with 100% certainty" the future as some defense of anything.

Those actions will trigger a cascade that will have a negative downstream effect.

Don't wait for the economists to tell you. The recession is here, and best to act accordingly. I'm sorry.

I disagree. See, that's you telling me with certainty you know the future when experts are saying they don't have that level of precision. Being cautious is one thing. Telling me I should replace expertise with your amateur, anonymous instincts isn't wise. Nor do I think you're "sorry" for attempting to tell others your truth is superior to expertise.

 

[doctorhook]

Most of the publishers we carry (Compose Dream Games) are either Canadian or British. There are a handful of exceptions (including Malta and Australia). FLGS across the country can order in from us too.
Here's the publisher list: Publishers


We already have some good game conventions here. Terminal City Con in Vancouver and Breakout in Toronto are the top two, and CanGames in Ottawa has been running since 1974.

Yeah the tricky bit is “falling in love” with a new publisher. This hobby produces a lot of non-substitutable products, e.g.: if I love DCC, then I might have a difficult time replacing that game with another if it isn’t suitably similar. An American TTRPG that I’m invested in might be hard to replace. That’s the struggle, combined with limited eyeball time for new games in my adult life.

Truthfully as a Canadian gamer I need to invest more time in learning about the Canadian games and publishers. I’m not really aware of any, and that’s probably on me. I won’t fall in love with a Canadian game if I’m not putting in the work of looking for one!

Yeah, business growth and unpredictability generally don’t go together. At the moment the whole world doesn’t know what the US will do tomorrow, let alone next week or 6 months from now. That makes it all but impossible for businesses to commit to new projects with any real certainty.

Plus, this isn’t the first rodeo with Trump-related trade uncertainty. The first administration it was easier to believe behaviour this was an anomaly, but now it’s back… and worse!?!? Any trust or benefit of the doubt towards American intentions are gone now, and it’s gonna be YEARS before Canadians (and many others) trust the USA the same way again.

Uncertainty is a psychological aspect of economics, but it’s a bit misleading here. America’s trading partners aren’t uncertain anymore… they’re becoming CERTAIN that instability is here to stay, and they’re looking for every possible way to remove themselves from it. In the best case, it’ll be much longer than 6 months to repair the trust and relationships now destroyed. (The biggest counterpoint is the massive inertia of trying to escape a certain economy. As Morrus and others have said, moving a business is extremely difficult and expensive especially in a hurry. We’ll likely see more companies give up altogether than actually shift their operations.)

A minute ago we were talking distribution hubs. Now we’re talking printing too? I don’t think most EU and UK companies are likely to move their printing from the EU to Canada, or how that would help, particularly. But it might make sense for some? Dunno!

Canada has all these trees and mills and paper! We’ve got paper for days! Alas, I don’t think our printing industry is anywhere near ready to seriously domesticate the next steps in that supply chain yet. Ask again in a decade? lol