This holiday season, U.S. parents may have to make an extra pit stop — not for toys, but for the batteries that power them, as manufacturers pare down on frills and packaging to cut costs amid rising tariffs.
Toy makers that serve retail giants like Walmart, Target and Amazon are reducing the number of accessories in toy kitchen sets, removing batteries from electronic playsets, simplifying doll makeup and reducing packaging, as a 30% blanket tariff currently imposed on Chinese imports puts a damper on their bottom lines.
The duties imposed on China by U.S. President Donald Trump are particularly painful for companies like Hasbro and Mattel, as 80% of toys sold in the U.S. come from China, according to trade group The Toy Association.
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