TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — President Donald Trump’s 90-day extension of the U.S.-China tariff pause keeps American duties on Chinese goods at about 30 percent through mid-November, averting a snap-back to 145 percent that had been set to take effect this week. Chinese tariffs on U.S. goods remain at about 10 percent.
Local shop owners say the on-again, off-again policy has already pushed up costs and injected uncertainty heading into the holiday season.
Alex Plot, owner of GameBro, said prices moved even without the triple-digit tariffs returning.
“Our prices went up… I would say about 10, 15 percent, and that was caused just by the chaos,” Plot said. “Companies think that there could be this huge price hike, so they expedite or postpone shipments and cut costs. That creates extra expense, and it gets passed on to us and then to the consumer.”
Plot said the holiday season typically “is when you make enough money to get you through the rest of the year,” so any late-year policy swings loom large for small retailers. After the interview, he learned one supplier is shutting down, forcing him to absorb higher costs and find new sources.
He added that even with the extension, uncertainty drives behavior that raises prices.
“Even if it doesn’t go into effect, the prices will still go up because of all the chaos,” Plot said. “So the damage has already been done.”
Across town at EverChange Video Games, owner Brian Harris said sales have held steady because much of his business is used games, but he’s seeing pressure on certain imports and parts.
“Plush… are getting harder and harder to find… and the prices are rising on them,” Harris said. He added that repair components are tighter, too: “When we get in a PlayStation 2 slim or a Gamecube… getting those parts is getting harder. So when my vendors have stock, I tend to buy more of them just so I have myself a little backlog.”
Harris said he’s committed to keeping prices fair.
“As long as I make enough to pay the rent, keep the lights on, pay my employees, I’m here,” he said. “I’m not in this business for the love of money. I’m in this business for the love of the video games and the business itself.”
Plot echoed the community focus.
“We sell fun for the kids, for the parents, for the families,” he said. “We will do whatever we can to stay here to do what we do.”
Trump signed the 90-day extension on Aug. 11, following trade talks this summer, delaying the tariff increase until mid-November and keeping rates where they’ve been since May’s truce. The timing means any major change would hit just as retailers head into the holiday rush.
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Kenny Darr is a reporter for KGUN 9. He joined the team in January 2023. Before arriving in Arizona he was an Anchor and Reporter at KADN in Lafayette, LA. Share your story ideas with Kenny by emailing kenny.darr@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
