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​

​

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

 

[Belen]

Amazon KDP pays 35% for ebooks retailed priced under $2.99 (to prevent a race to the bottom) and 70% for ebooks $2.99 or over.

In order to get to 70%, you are forced to signup for additional programs, often including exclusivity to the Amazon platform and then are unable to fully control your own pricing or discounts.

 

[Myrdin Potter]

Again, though, this implies that there should also be a bigger industry in Canada, the UK, Japan, etc.

But if we do that, then everyone's books (or whatever) get more expensive, and in a lot of places they just won't be made.

Free trade makes products less expensive. There are plenty of drawbacks, and maybe they outweigh lower prices on stuff. But this is a not simply a USA versus China situation. Every nation on earth has a stake, and it is not clear to me why the USA printing more stuff is a good outcome for me - I think it'll just make my stuff more expensive or unavailable.

That point is a nice top level comment but not applicable to printing in the USA (or Canada) as there is ample raw materials there.

Other than the cost advantage, and it can be argued that it is not a natural advantage, there is no good reason why printing cannot be done in the USA. Other than the capacity / capability argument but that is a result of rock bottom pricing driving the local businesses under.

 

[numtini]

In order to get to 70%, you are forced to signup for additional programs, often including exclusivity to the Amazon platform and then are unable to fully control your own pricing or discounts.

I'm sorry, but that's just not true. The only exclusivity requirement is to join the Kindle Unlimited lending library and for that, you are paid paid by the page-read at a rate they set, but your book remains on sale for regular purchase at a price that you are fully in control of. The exclusivity for KU is only for ebooks, not audio or print, and is for six month periods at which point you can renew or withdraw.

 

[Image Miroir]

That point is a nice top level comment but not applicable to printing in the USA (or Canada) as there is ample raw materials there.

Other than the cost advantage, and it can be argued that it is not a natural advantage, there is no good reason why printing cannot be done in the USA. Other than the capacity / capability argument but that is a result of rock bottom pricing driving the local businesses under.

The RPG industry isn't the same everywhere, and "local" production is the key for the future.
First it's to assume not everyone is speaking english, or not everyone speaking it prefers english books.
Lets take Europe. What's the point to print a RPG book in the UK ? Will you produce the French version, the Spanish version, the Italian or German version there ?
To remind some facts the UK population is 69 millions, France is 66 millions, Italy is 59 millions, Spain is 47 millions, Poland is 38 millions, and Germany's population is 84 millions.
For sure, some people will argue, it'll make the books cheaper to produce them mainly in English and from UK. First UK isn't part of European Union anymore which means additional taxes. But more than that, we can see the price for a local market are now very close to the "English world-version price". I'll take the price of last edition the of D&D : in France (on amazon.fr) the price for the English version is 46€, and the price for the French version is 49€. As you can see it represents around 5% difference for an additional translation and a smaller market.
And it's not only a question of translation, each country have different and more precise cultural approach. A this is particularly true when you have games with historical settings... I only saw a real gun when I was a young man entering the army; but I was so young when I saw a real castle, that I can't even tell when it was.

More so, considering how fast and efficient AI is, to translate a book could very soon be just the matter of clicks. So, maybe the future (not to say the present) of RPG books is just a matter of a quality print-on-demand nearby the final consumer.
I can't tell if it's good or bad, but the US are getting farther and farther from the rest of the world; and I don't see a turning back in the upcoming four years or decade. I'm sure by that time, in what will be called the platinum age of RPG, the main games will be co-printed, and co-distributed more or less locally.

Otherwise, I note something, when I started playing RPG the D&D Player's Handbook cost was 5% of the lowest salary, now it represents less than 3%. If we (or our parents) were able to purchase it then, a slightly higher price for book that are now so much bigger, so much better written, and so much better illustrated should be possible.
A $80 Player's Handbook would not shock me. If you are and find it's too much to play RPG, the free version of ChatGPT can write you and illustrate something that will be much better and much nicer than the first edition of D&D!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

 

[Myrdin Potter]

The RPG industry isn't the same everywhere, and "local" production is the key for the future.
First it's to assume not everyone is speaking english, or not everyone speaking it prefers english books.
Lets take Europe. What's the point to print a RPG book in the UK ? Will you produce the French version, the Spanish version, the Italian or German version there ?
To remind some facts the UK population is 69 millions, France is 66 millions, Italy is 59 millions, Spain is 47 millions, Poland is 38 millions, and Germany's population is 84 millions.
For sure, some people will argue, it'll make the books cheaper to produce them mainly in English and from UK. First UK isn't part of European Union anymore which means additional taxes. But more than that, we can see the price for a local market are now very close to the "English world-version price". I'll take the price of last edition the of D&D : in France (on amazon.fr) the price for the English version is 46€, and the price for the French version is 49€. As you can see it represents around 5% difference for an additional translation and a smaller market.
And it's not only a question of translation, each country have different and more precise cultural approach. A this is particularly true when you have games with historical settings... I only saw a real gun when I was a young man entering the army; but I was so young when I saw a real castle, that I can't even tell when it was.

More so, considering how fast and efficient AI is, to translate a book could very soon be just the matter of clicks. So, maybe the future (not to say the present) of RPG books is just a matter of a quality print-on-demand nearby the final consumer.
I can't tell if it's good or bad, but the US are getting farther and farther from the rest of the world; and I don't see a turning back in the upcoming four years or decade. I'm sure by that time, in what will be called the platinum age of RPG, the main games will be co-printed, and co-distributed more or less locally.

Otherwise, I note something, when I started playing RPG the D&D Player's Handbook cost was 5% of the lowest salary, now it represents less than 3%. If we (or our parents) were able to purchase it then, a slightly higher price for book that are now so much bigger, so much better written, and so much better illustrated should be possible.
A $80 Player's Handbook would not shock me. If you are and find it's too much to play RPG, the free version of ChatGPT can write you and illustrate something that will be much better and much nicer than the first edition of D&D!

Lithuania (part of the EU) is a major printing site. UK (Games Workshop) has extensive injection molding capabilities for miniature production. I think Poland has a lot of ability to produce games as well. Not sure what point you are making about languages, I speak and read French pretty well but I don't have to use a printer in Quebec to produce in Canada (I live in California now, but you should get the point).

Everything just should be sent to China because they are cheaper?

 

[Wofano Wotanto]

My father had a possum as a child. First and last pet he ever owned until he bought a beagle when my sister and I were young. His possum was a survivor from some kind of predator attack that had killed its mother, and stuck around in a surprisingly domesticated fashion for over a year before it got out one night and a coyote ate it right on the back lawn.

Really shouldn't try to make pets out of animals that just aren't, but it bought the thing another year of life (which is a fair stretch for a possum) so can't really criticize in that case.

 

[Image Miroir]

Lithuania (part of the EU) is a major printing site. UK (Games Workshop) has extensive injection molding capabilities for miniature production. I think Poland has a lot of ability to produce games as well. Not sure what point you are making about languages, I speak and read French pretty well but I don't have to use a printer in Quebec to produce in Canada (I live in California now, but you should get the point).

Everything just should be sent to China because they are cheaper?

Considering translation, if it's for France, translate it there and not in Quebec; sometimes expression aren't the same and the feeling is like if there's some mistake in the text.
The Baltics and Poland could be solutions for printing in EU.
What I wanted to say is, that instead of printing for all the world only in English, to associate with local games producers to create a local edition that will avoid all kind of taxes. This is particularly true for the most populated EU countries.

The quest for cheaper products often create an addiction to uselessness.