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

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[Wofano Wotanto]

You can’t just move to another country. Immigration isn’t a trivial process, personally, legally, or logistically.

No kidding. Even harder for a business rather than an individual, and with many game companies selling 60% or more of their products in the US moving away from that market just doesn't make sense even now. As things get worse that may change, especially if US purchasing power tanks and the relative value of other markets increases.

 

[Von Ether]

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.

I know that France has/used to have a program of some sort where ttrpg art is subsidized by the government. It's one of the reason Asmodee moved all of their ttrpg operations to Edge Studios.

On a more serious note, though, it would be tough to move.

 

[Clint_L]

Did folks see the Troll Lord Games announcement about publishing books and box sets in the US?

They are also expanding their own printing facilities.

That is the opposite of a selling point for non-Americans, though. It potentially means higher tariffs for us, not to mention the fact that many of us, including basically my entire country (Canada), are feeling pretty negative towards the "Made in America" label these days, for reasons I don't want to get into because politics, but are probably pretty obvious. So for me, that announcement reads "don't buy anything from Troll Lord Games."

A lot of folks seem to be posting as if the American perspective is the universal perspective. What's good for US jobs right now is probably bad for the rest of us - that's the whole point of the tariffs. Is it supposed to be a selling point for me that folks lost their jobs in China and the UK...not to mention Canada?

 

[Belen]

That is the opposite of a selling point for non-Americans, though. It potentially means higher tariffs for us, not to mention the fact that many of us, including basically my entire country (Canada), are feeling pretty negative towards the "Made in America" label these days, for reasons I don't want to get into because politics, but are probably pretty obvious. So for me, that announcement reads "don't buy anything from Troll Lord Games."

A lot of folks seem to be posting as if the American perspective is the universal perspective. What's good for US jobs right now is probably bad for the rest of us - that's the whole point of the tariffs. Is it supposed to be a selling point for me that folks lost their jobs in China and the UK...not to mention Canada?

TLG has printed in the US since 2005 so they did not contribute to any loss of jobs.

 

[MGibster]

TLG has printed in the US since 2005 so they did not contribute to any loss of jobs.

That's not really the point as @Clint_L isn't blaming Troll Lord Games for the current situation. I'm going to limit this to strictly tariffs, but if Canada, a country whose interest has aligned with ours economically and culturally for many decades, suddenly decided to start a trade war with us, you can bet your bottom dollar I wouldn't purchase any RPG coming out of there. No RPG, no gaming product, no sweet, sweet maple syrup. As we all learned from South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, "It's not aboot diplomacy, it's aboot dignity." What I'm getting at is his stance is completely reasonable.

Note: In January, I purchased two gallons of Canadian maple syrup to ensure my strategic reserves would get me through the next few years. I still don't know what's so great about Tim Hortons though.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

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!

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.

 

[Clint_L]

I still don't know what's so great about Tim Hortons though.

Me either. It’s just donuts and cheap coffee.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

That is the opposite of a selling point for non-Americans, though. It potentially means higher tariffs for us, not to mention the fact that many of us, including basically my entire country (Canada), are feeling pretty negative towards the "Made in America" label these days, for reasons I don't want to get into because politics, but are probably pretty obvious. So for me, that announcement reads "don't buy anything from Troll Lord Games."

A lot of folks seem to be posting as if the American perspective is the universal perspective. What's good for US jobs right now is probably bad for the rest of us - that's the whole point of the tariffs. Is it supposed to be a selling point for me that folks lost their jobs in China and the UK...not to mention Canada?

I, and many others I know, are actively looking to reduce the goods they buy from the USA, and choose Canadian and European alternatives instead (not that maple syrup is part of my usual diet). Some companies could potentially market as "a non-American alternative to D&D" to increase market share in the rest of the world.

 

[GuyBoy]

I used to travel extensively in the USA, both for work and pleasure, and have been fortunate enough to visit all 50 beautiful states, meet so many great people and see amazing things, but I won't be returning all the time that a certain person is President.
I do appreciate that this is purely anecdotal, but the drop in bookings for flights from Europe is estimated at between 15 and 22%, so I'm clearly not alone.

 

[The Soloist]

I, and many others I know, are actively looking to reduce the goods they buy from the USA, and choose Canadian and European alternatives instead (not that maple syrup is part of my usual diet). Some companies could potentially market as "a non-American alternative to D&D" to increase market share in the rest of the world.

Dragonbane by Free League is a non-US alternative. They should set up a distribution hub in Canada and avoid going through the US.