If you’ve ever been surprised by unexpected import costs on your game shipment, the culprit might be something called an anti-dumping duty. These duties can apply even to small, everyday items tucked inside your product packaging. A simple pencil, tin box, or magnet could be the reason your landed costs are higher than you expected.
What Are Anti-Dumping Duties?
Anti-dumping duties are additional tariffs imposed by the U.S. government on imported goods when it believes those goods are being sold at unfairly low prices. In trade terms, “dumping” means a company is exporting products for less than they sell for at home, often to gain a price advantage in another market. The purpose of these taxes is to offset the difference between the exported price and the fair (US) market value.
To protect U.S. manufacturers from this kind of pricing, the Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission can impose anti-dumping duties. These charges “level the playing field” so that American-made products aren’t undercut by imports sold below fair market value, ideally encouraging publishers to use US-made products.
How They Affect Board Game Imports
Most finished board games don’t fall under anti-dumping orders, but many individual components do. If your game includes an item that’s subject to one of these tariffs, that single part can impact the cost of your entire shipment.
Here are a few examples that can surprise publishers:
- Wooden pencils: There’s a long-standing anti-dumping order on wooden pencils made in China (but only if they are packaged), with rates that can exceed 100 percent. If your game includes even one packaged pencil, it can add up quickly. Packaging could be a simple polybag.
- Tin or metal boxes: Metal containers sometimes fall under duties for steel or aluminum articles.
- Papers/Coatings: Certain types of uncoated paper or tissue paper. There are also anti-dumping duties on several more types of papers and coatings, but only if they are not printed on or if they are not already in their final form.
- Magnets: Especially rare-earth or neodymium magnets used for closures or components.
Avoiding Costly Surprises
The best defense against unexpected duties is awareness and planning.
- Ask your manufacturer. Make sure they know which parts might fall under existing anti-dumping rulings and confirm where each component is sourced.
- Consult your freight forwarder or customs broker. They can help you classify items correctly under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule and identify potential risks before shipping.
- Consider alternate sourcing. If a component is known to carry high tariffs, it may make sense to source that item domestically or from another country not subject to anti-dumping duties.
Knowledge Is Your Best Tool
Anti-dumping duties aren’t random or unfair. They’re designed to prevent certain products from being sold in the U.S. at artificially low prices. But for game publishers and importers, they can feel like hidden costs waiting to appear on your customs bill.
The key is knowing where those costs come from and working with partners who understand how to avoid them. A manufacturer or project manager who stays on top of trade regulations can help you plan around anti-dumping risks and keep your projects on budget.
At GPI, we help our clients navigate every part of the manufacturing and logistics process, including identifying where unexpected costs like these might come up. With the right information, even the smallest components won’t catch you off guard.
