Trump Threatens Major Tariffs For Barbies And Hot Wheels

President Donald Trump threatened to enforce a 100% tariff connected products from celebrated artifact shaper Mattel. The announcement came conscionable days aft nan institution announced it would beryllium raising prices connected toys successful nan United States owed to nan Trump administration’s tariffs connected China. 

Trump imposed a 145% tariff connected Chinese imports successful April 2025. Mattel, which makes Barbie, Hot Wheels, American Girl and different celebrated toys, produces 40% of its products successful China. 

On Monday, executives successful a convention telephone said that nan institution plans to relocate astir 500 of those products to different countries arsenic it shifts accumulation distant from China. However, Ynon Kriez, president and CEO of Mattel, said that it is improbable nan institution will move its accumulation from China to nan United States. Kriez told CNBC making products successful different countries pinch little U.S.-imposed tariffs allows them to waste toys astatine much affordable prices.

When Trump announced his “liberation day” tariffs successful April, he said nan move would spur much manufacturing and a aureate property successful nan U.S.

What did nan president opportunity astir Mattel specifically ?

Following news of Mattel’s moves, nan president said Thursday, May 8, that if nan institution wanted to move to different state but not to nan U.S., past he would enforce a stiff tariff successful return.

“I’ve heard [Mattel] said: ‘Well we’re going to spell counter, we’re going to effort going someplace else,’” Trump told reporters Thursday. “That’s OK, fto [Kriez] go, and we’ll put a 100% tariff connected his toys, and he won’t waste 1 artifact successful nan United States, and that’s their biggest market.”

What’s nan latest betwixt nan Trump management and China erstwhile it comes to tariffs?

The president sent representatives to Switzerland for talks pinch China this weekend, successful an effort to de-escalate nan waste and acquisition war.

“80% Tariff connected China seems right,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform connected Friday, May 9.

He said that would beryllium up to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who will beryllium progressive successful nan talks. 

What astir artifact prices?

Right now Mattel estimates that little than 20% of its toys sold successful nan United States are produced successful China and nan institution plans to little that percent by 2026 and 2027, according to Yahoo Finance.

The institution said it hopes to support up to 50% of its products priced astatine $20 aliases less, but prices mightiness emergence successful nan U.S.