Jonathan Silva, CEO of WS Game Company, reported that his company attempted to manufacture a special edition Monopoly game in the United States to avoid import tariffs on Chinese-made goods. Silva stated the project followed a seven-figure tariff bill the company received the previous year. The experiment, a "Monopoly Americana" edition for the U.S. 250th anniversary, faced significant supply chain and cost challenges.
Silva noted that domestic manufacturing proved difficult because specialized components were not readily available. The company was unable to find a domestic manufacturer for game dice and had to import them. While other parts were sourced from Massachusetts, Indiana, and Ohio, Silva reported that assembling the supply chain took over a year, causing the company to miss the first half of the holiday selling season.
According to Silva, manufacturing costs in the U.S. were at least double the cost of production in China. The Toy Association, an industry trade group, stated that approximately 80% of toys and games sold in the U.S. are manufactured in China due to an established ecosystem of specialized part suppliers. Association CEO Greg Ahearn stated that shifting production away from China is difficult because U.S. facilities often lack the integrated capabilities found in Chinese factories.