Lower variety, higher prices: As Trump’s fares already harm Christmas in the USA

Donald Trump again threatens BRICS countries with summer in full progress in the United States, retail executives are already eyeing another season. Less than 22 weeks left for Christmas – period when companies that make and sell consumer goods often set their orders and prices for parties. However, President Donald Trump’s trade policies – part of his effort to revitalize national industry and reduce US commercial deficit – complicated plans for the end of the year. 📱 Bake the G1 app to see real -time and free news Balsam Hill, which sells artificial trees and other online decorations, predicts more lean Christmas catalogs, as the outstanding products constantly change with the fees that the president imposes, advance or review. “Uncertainty has made us spend all our time trying to rearrange what we are ordering, where we are bringing and when it will be,” said Mac Harman, CEO of Balsam Bersam, Balsam Hill controller. “We don’t know which items we can include in the catalog.” Months of uncertainty about which foreign products may be more expensive to import have released questions about the shopping season. US retailers usually start Christmas planning in January and finalize most requests by the end of June. Unstable rates have already impacted this process. And the consequences for consumers? Stores may not have specific gifts customers want in November and December. Some suppliers and retailers have reduced their holiday lines to avoid high taxes or stranded stocks. Prices are still being set, but consumers should prepare for increases – whose impact will depend on Trump’s new round of “reciprocal” tariffs next month. Uncertainty has been especially harmful to the US toy industry, which imports almost 80% of its China products. American manufacturers usually increase production in April, but this year it was postponed until the end of May, after the president imposed a 145% rate on Chinese products, according to Greg Ahearn, president of Toy Association. Although the fare has diminished from the spring peak-a truce in the US-China trade war on August 12-it continues to influence the holidays. The production of small and medium toy companies in the US is far below registered last year, according to Ahearn. The delay in the beginning of production in China means that Christmas toys are coming only now to deposits in the US. A big question is whether tariffs will prevent toy inventory stores that become successful in September, said James Zahn, editor-in-chief of Toy Book magazine. Planning Christmas in July usually involves defining marketing strategies and promotions. Dean Smith, owner of Jazams toy stores in Princeton (New Jersey) and Lahaska (Pennsylvania), said he spent an hour and a half with a Canadian distributor analyzing price scenarios, as wholesale cost of some products increased by 20%. He assessed that increasing prices in this proportion could ward off customers, so he sought alternatives to “maintain a reasonable margin without exceeding what consumers would accept.” He ordered a cheaper version of the Crazy Forts toy and excluded the children’s edition of the anomie card game, considering that customers would not pay the necessary amount. “In the end, I had to eliminate half of the products I normally order,” said Smith. Co-owners Dean Smith, left, and Joanne Farrugia pose for a photograph at Jazams, one of her toy stores, on Friday, June 27, 2025, in Princeton, New Jersey. AP Photo/Matt Slocum Hilary Key, owner of The Toy Chest in Nashville (Indiana), said she usually tests new toys in advance to decide which one to store for Christmas. This year, she gave up tests for fear that late requests would result in high tariffs. Meanwhile, toy suppliers manufactured in China and other countries have sent several price increases to Key. Schylling, for example – manufacturer of Needoh, locking teddy bears and modern versions of nostalgic toys like My Little Pony – raised prices by 20%, she said. All these increases can be reviewed if the tariff situation changes again. Key fears that your store loses the variety of products you have always proud of. “My concern is not running out of products, because I can bring more books, gifts or items manufactured in other countries,” she said. “But that does not guarantee that I will have the best inventory for each age group or specific need.” The retailer may have to continue to face unpredictable changes in the White House rates. Last week, the president again readjusted the rates on imports in Brazil, European Union, Mexico and other business partners, but said they will only come into force on August 1. This brief break should extend the deadline for importers to bring seasonal goods with the current basic rate of 10%. The port of Los Angeles registered the busiest June of its 117 years, with companies accelerating shipments to the end of the year. The July imports also follow strong, according to Gene Seroka, executive director of Porto. “In my assessment, we are witnessing a peak movement now, with companies anticipating shipments before possible discharge in the rates at the end of summer [nos EUA]”Said Seroka. The rhythm of port activities reflects the so -called“ seesaw tariff effect ” – imports fall when tariffs come into force and increase when they are suspended.“ For us consumers, lower stocks, fewer options and higher prices are likely scenarios as we approach parties. ” Smith and his partner, Joanne Farrugia, anticipated Christmas requests in two months for “certain items that we consider essential with specific prices”. Plush dogs. Sales are welcome, but he and farrugia fear having to replace inventions with higher prices. A less varied selection of artificial snow ornaments and trees compared to previous years. It will be too late to import new relevant products.

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