Tariffs Having More Impact

 

Although claims have been made that container ships have stopped unloading at ports on the West Coast, including one widely shared photo stating ships have stopped unloading at the Port of Seattle, such claims are, shall we say, overblown to say the least. For the first quarter, the number of ships unloading at the Port are actually slightly up in numbers from 2024 for the first quarter, although in some cases, the amount of freight unloaded can run up to 30% less than expected. Of course, given the two to four weeks it takes for a freighter to cross the Pacific from China, those ships arriving now may have left pre-tariff and we may see a significant drop in shipments arriving if more companies take their cue from The Op and Cephalofair Games and send shipments back to their point of origin (See “The OP May Send Fifteen Containers of Games Back to China”). If tariffs do not get reverted soon, the holiday season, which accounts for some 40% of retail sales and accounts for the majority of profits for the toy and game industry will see a significant drop in sales and lots of empty spaces on the shelf.