You couldn't miss the election of the new President of the United States, Donald Trump. The 47th President of the United States is not one to mince his words. The proof is in the forthcoming imposition of customs duties, particularly on imports from Canada, Mexico and China.

These tariffs are of particular concern to the retrogaming community in the United States, for one simple reason: almost all retro hardware comes from China. The YouTube channel Retro Game Corps, which lists many handheld consoles, looked into the matter:

*"I'm seeing a lot of questions about US tariffs on handheld consoles, especially since the de minimis exception (which previously allowed 25% tariffs to not apply to handheld consoles) has been suspended. To

give a concrete example, this would mean seeing the Anbernic RG353M Recalbox compatible console in France rise from €159.90 to around €214, which considerably reduces its appeal.

RG353M

Mike Chi, the creator of RetroTink, is also concerned about the speed at which these new duties will be applied:

"New trade regulations are a source of uncertainty, especially as importers have little time to adapt. We strive to maintain the same experience for our domestic customers, but if this situation persists, US shipments could see their prices rise due to tariffs and compliance costs."

"Small businesses may face the greatest challenges in adapting to complex and often changing regulations, due to limited resources."

"The biggest concern at the moment is how sea and air shipments will be affected by the 4 February implementation date."

Other well-known names in the US retrogaming community, such as HD Retrovision (renowned supplier of quality AV cables) or modder Voultar, point out that new stock will be immediately impacted:

"I had hoped to stock up by the end of January, but I think all the inventory (including DIY edge enhancers) will be restocked in February. The new tariff has changed everything."

"Please support small businesses! It's"

important to note that the retrogaming community is largely made up of small businesses run by enthusiasts. These businesses, often financially fragile and operating in a niche with little room for manoeuvre, are likely to suffer from these new provisions.

Source: Time Extension