8BitDo, a company that produces gaming controllers, mice, and keyboards, has stopped shipping products to the United States. The manufacturer reports this on its website. The temporary cessation of shipments is due to new 145% import tariffs on goods made in China, introduced by the administration of US President Donald Trump.
Image source: 8BitDo
At the same time, American buyers can still order controllers, mice and other peripherals from 8BitDo, which are already in its American warehouse. However, it is unclear which products are available for purchase. This can only be found out if you add the product of interest to the virtual cart and enter the shipping address. Only then will the system inform you whether the product is available for shipment to the US or not.
8BitDo is primarily known for its gaming controllers, which are compatible with many gaming consoles, including the Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X. One of the manufacturer’s latest releases is the Retro R8 N Edition computer mouse in the style of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It is still available in the US. However, the manufacturer’s most popular products seem to be no longer available for purchase by US users. These include the Ultimate 2 Bluetooth Controller, the Nintendo 64 Controller Kit, the Retro Mechanical Keyboard, and the Compact Xbox Controller.
These 8BitDo products are no longer available to US users
According to gaming publication Plygon, while some consumer electronics are currently exempt from the 145% tariff, new gaming consoles are not. This is because gaming consoles and their accessories are classified by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) as toys, not technology. The new tariffs have also affected the video game industry, which also includes board games. Manufacturers of the latter are facing major difficulties. Several companies have announced that they are ceasing operations and laying off staff due to increased production costs.
Even key market players like Nintendo were hit. The company was forced to postpone the start date of pre-orders for its new Nintendo Switch 2 gaming console and raise the price of accessories for it. The console itself did not become more expensive.