I usually try to avoid discussing politics on this platform, but lately—thanks to the reckless decisions of the Trump administration—that’s been difficult. Recently, President Trump initiated what many are calling the second major global trade war since the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1929 raised tariffs, and it wasn’t a good time for any.
Now, with Nintendo delaying pre-orders for its highly anticipated next-gen console, the Nintendo Switch 2, it seems like gamers and fans of geek culture are finally starting to take notice. Still, I don’t think most people realize just how serious these new tariffs actually are.
So, let me take a few minutes of your time to break it all down in a simple, no-BS explanation—just for the gamers and geek culture crowd.
In a nutshell, Trump has argued that other countries are charging the U.S.A. for more in tariffs than we charge them, and to a correct extent. However, what he fails to mention is that those are both cherry-picked and that the U.S.A. also does the same in various other sectors, so it isn’t completely valid. It’s like he’s playing checkers when the entire trade situation is playing chess.
Tariffs aren’t a one-size-fits-all all, as some would make you believe. There are thousands of items that are imported by the U.S.A., and each item has a different tariff percentage. For example, while we may have a 2.5% tariff on cars from one country, we may have a tariff with that same country where we’re charging them 30% on fruits, 15% on t-shirts, and 14% on sneakers. As I said, it gets complex. Except now, the U.S.A. is doing a blanket tariff, and other countries are retaliating with their blanket tariffs, and it’s getting very messy.
Global trade is and has been a very complex thing, and what has been laid out is both incorrect and likely done to try to negotiate different rates and try to frustrate us, the citizens. Well, one part of it is working, that’s for sure.
