As U.S. president Donald Trump’s controversial import tariffs take effect, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has urged the administration to consult with the private sector to avoid harm to the video game industry.
In a statement to Kotaku’s Ethan Gach, the ESA called on the Trump administration to speak with the private sector in a “transparent process.”
“Tariffs on video game devices and related products would impact Americans of all ages across the country,” the group said. “We urge the administration to consult with the private sector in a transparent process to avoid causing significant harm to everyday Americans and to one of the fastest growing entertainment sectors in the United States.”
The ESA represents several major video game companies, including Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Square Enix, Ubisoft, Epic Games, and Electronic Arts.
Over the weekend, President Trump signed an order imposing tariffs on Canada, China, and Mexico. The move elicited retaliatory tariffs from Canada and Mexico, while the Ministry of Commerce in China said it would file a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization. The tariffs are set to go live Tuesday, but Trump said he will pause the tariffs on Mexico for a month following a call with the country’s president.
While the tariffs are currently targeted at Canada, China, and Mexico, President Trump has also stated that tariffs would “definitely happen” with the European Union. When asked about Britain, Trump told reporters “we’ll see how things work out.”
“The UK is way out of line. We’ll see … but the European Union is really out of line,” said President Trump (via Reuters). “The UK is out of line, but I think that one can be worked out. But the European Union is an atrocity, what they’ve done.”
Analysts have been discussing the potential impact of tariffs on the industry as the situation has evolved. On X, MST Financial senior analyst David Gibson said the China tariff would have “zero” impact on the Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S., but tariffs on Vietnam could change that.
Now obviously if tariffs go onto Vietnam imports to the US then that changes the outcome. PS5 not so lucky but Sony might to scale up non-China production to help solve the problem.
— David Gibson (@gibbogame) February 2, 2025
In a recent interview with IGN, Super Joost newsletter author Joost van Dreunen also considered the impact of tariffs on the potential cost of Nintendo’s new console, saying “the broader economic environment, particularly potential tariff impacts from the incoming U.S. administration, could significantly influence consumer reception.”
Photo by Phil Barker/Future Publishing via Getty Images.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
