The cost of toys and games is rising <\/a>at a record rate as the industry begins to feel the impact of President Donald Trump\u2019s tariffs on China.<\/p>\n While inflation held steady last month<\/a> at 0.1 percent, the price of toys, games and playground equipment saw a rise of 2.2 percent between April and May, according to figures<\/a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. <\/p>\n The latest figures capture the period after Trump unveiled his global reciprocal tariffs <\/a>in April, and while the full impact is yet to appear in the data, experts say it\u2019s a gloomy indication of what\u2019s to come for the toy industry.<\/p>\n After months of back and forth, tariffs on Chinese imports \u2013 which at one point rocketed to 145 percent \u2013 are currently at 30 percent until mid-August.<\/p>\n Nearly 80 percent of the toys sold in the U.S. are sourced from China, according to The Toy Association, and the industry is bracing itself.<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n The price of toys, games and playground equipment saw a rise of 2.2 percent between April and May, according to figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Getty Images)<\/p>\n Isaac Larian, chief executive of MGA Entertainment, which manufactures brands including Bratz and Little Tikes, told The Washington Post <\/a>that inflation \u201cis only just starting.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s going to be a domino effect: You\u2019re going to see prices go even higher,\u201d Larian said. \u201cYou\u2019re going to see empty shelves and a lack of innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump acknowledged that his tariffs could lead to higher prices or less inventory. \u201cWell, maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls,\u201d he said in April. He also suggested those two dolls could \u201ccost a couple of bucks more than they would normally.\u201d<\/p>\n Some toy makers say they have no choice but to pass on the tariffs to customers. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a tough situation,\u201d Scott Clarke, the president of Douglas, which sells stuffed toy animals, told The Post. \u201cWe\u2019ve absorbed some of the tariffs, but there\u2019s only so much we can do. Ultimately, this is a tax on American businesses, and it\u2019s the consumer that\u2019s having to pay.\u201d<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Trump acknowledged that his tariffs could lead to higher prices or less inventory. \u2018Well, maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls,\u2019 he said in April. (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n Last month Mattel, the creator of Barbie, Hot Wheels, Uno, American Girl and more, was threatened by Trump for refusing to move its production to the U.S. <\/a>\u2013 the ultimate goal of the president\u2019s tariffs.<\/p>\n Ynon Kreiz, the chairman and CEO of Mattel, told CNBC<\/a> it was unlikely the company would move production to the U.S as a result of tariffs; preferring instead to diversify production to other countries or just raise prices on U.S. consumers.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-2215283626.jpg\")
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