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

 

[geek0id]

Clearly they never met any gamers, because of my collection, most were passive reading* and and many were never even played!

* I spend hours, nearly every day, just reading rpg stuff in the 80s. Much more time than actually playing them.

And? The sentence is still accurate.

 

[M.T. Black]

Is it possible to change customs broker?

Yes. If anyone knows of an agent who has cleared an RPG book under the tariff exemption, please let me know

 

[GreyLord]

I think the reality is we don’t know and, if we think we know, the US government may decide to change the rules within the next few hours anyway. That’s just the reality of the situation and how quickly and often it is currently shifting.

I have no horse in this race. I just pity those that have to try and keep up due to their business needs.

This is actually a very real problem and it's causing a LOT of pain. A LOT. I mean a LOT!. You'll get one heads up ,then another, then suddenly it's changed again...and oh look...it's changed again.

You send someone to meet and greet and smooze with the President and you think he's all nice now...but wait! That's just a front! You were bamboozled and now it's all bad again!

There is no winning right now. I don't know what's going through people's heads who think that this is a good situation.

Right now, everything looks like it could end badly. You want the RPG books? That's great, but even if the book's themselves aren't under tariffs, some of the materials to make them may be.

So....you'll go digital will you? Well...that's sort of being unpredictable right now as well. It's off, now it's on, now it's actually was always off but only temporary and will be on again later...I can't even keep up with the changes at this point and many of producers of electronics can't either. It probably means that these will be going up as well, perhaps to levels unforeseen before...so...good luck with going digital also.

It's a headache. I've been stocking up on things since January. Unfortunately just had one server die, so...I got to jump on that ASAP if I can, because who knows what will happen tomorrow...much less a few weeks from now.

As for RPGs though, I have a LOT of the old ones. I spent most of the 80s with just a few RPGs in total (D&D, AD&D, Star Frontiers, Gamma World) that I played constantly...if I could do that for a decade or more, I can certainly play any of the older games I have in my library for the next few years (or decades) if need be!

 

[Morrus]

Oh, look a hater that they thinks if they don't like something,no one does.

I don't know if you're confused about where you are, but this isn't the YouTube comments. If you can't comment without namecalling, don't comment.

 

[Morrus]

Yes. If anyone knows of an agent who has cleared an RPG book under the tariff exemption, please let me know

Well, we'll be doing it very soon! But many shipments are being held at present in the hopes that the situation will change.

 

[xiphumor]

Well, we'll be doing it very soon! But many shipments are being held at present in the hopes that the situation will change.

I suspect that the best odds might come from just exploiting human laziness and the relative obscurity of TTRPGs to the larger world. Folks who (without misrepresenting their product) play up the book part of their product and play down the game part might be more likely to get a favorable ruling from a customs agent who has like, 50 requests to get through today and isn't super familiar with TTRPGs. Mentioning it's in the same genre as the Shadowrun book mentioned in the article might also help.

If they're very lucky, they might even get box sets classified as part of a retail kit for which the book provides the essential character, making the entire package exempt.

 

[Sacrosanct]

And? The sentence is still accurate.

It was a tongue-in-cheek joke.

 

[doctorhook]

I love all of y’all for this discussion, and detest that we have to have it.

I’m Canadian, and we were among the first to be threatened with tariffs, which was especially stressful for us due to our tight economic integration and also the other political context of the tariff threats. I’m not a publisher, just a consumer, but all this constantly shifting tariff talk has definitely quashed my will to spend—especially on American products. (Example: I love DCC and often support Goodman Games crowdfunding campaigns, but I’m pulling my support for now.) It’s not an indictment of the American companies, rather it’s me choosing to make a political statement with my dollars… and saving my dollars for the bumpy ride to come.

I did still recently back a couple UK products though, which is something. Now I need to fall in love with a Canadian TTRPG company.

 

[Epic Meepo]

Now I need to fall in love with a Canadian TTRPG company.

I wonder how hard it would be to convince American TTRPG companies to relocate to Canada. Or at least move some conventions up there, so gamers can spend their dollars in a country that's less hostile to small TTRPG businesses with global supply chains.

 

[dragoner]

I wonder how hard it would be to convince American TTRPG companies to relocate to Canada. Or at least move some conventions up there, so gamers can spend their dollars in a country that's less hostile to small TTRPG businesses with global supply chains.

Montreal is nice, when I lived in Burlington, Vermont, we would go to Montreal as the closest big city.