U.S. Tariff & De Minimis Expemtion Suspension Update 2025
Updated: April 12, 2025
Hello Owlets,
In the recent months, there has been many changes in the U.S. politic events and specifically those affecting trade with other countries. These events have caused a large negative impact on the Anime Collectibles & Toys industry as tariffs as high as 145% had been reported onto products relevant to these areas.
Our small team has been deliberating and discussing how to handle the situation all the while waiting for new updates and news. Despite constant changes with the tariff, there is one thing our team absolutely agrees on-- if it is within our ability to provide and do so, we do not want to hand off these tariff fees directly to any of you. Please bare with us as we brief the situation from the distribution stance and from our position as a small retailer in the U.S.
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The tariff situation at the moment:
To simply put it, tariffs are taxes that are placed on goods being imported into the country from another. For a long time, the United States operated on worldwide free trade however this has changed in the past few months. Goods specifically from China are being hit with a large amount of tariffs.
How does this affect the industry:
Many of the figure manufacturers have their factories in China. Japanese manufacturers like Good Smile Company also have factories in China. Reputable manufacturers like APEX innovations and Myethos--both brands that we work directly with-- are also located in China. This means that all things from figures, plushies, and lifestyle goods will be affected by this tariff for U.S. customers.
Our experience with Anime Distributors' approach:
We've noticed that some distributors have taken the approach to fully pass the entirety of the tariff charge onto their vendors. To vendors who are reading this, please note that tariff percentages are applied to the imported value and not retail value. A distributor that applies the tariff on the selling price is taking advantage of the current situation and we do not stand by these distributors.
On another note, we are extremely grateful to distributors that are standing with the vendors and customers at this difficult time. These distributors are willing to share the burden of cushioning some of the tariff for their vendors to allow better pricing for their customers. For legal reasons, we cannot disclose any names but these distributors will be remembered for giving their best to keep the collectibles hobby industry alive in the U.S.
Otaku Owlet’s stance:
We believe that as a store, we represent all of our customers and the anime industry. As a small business, we are aware our voice has little impact to large distributors but we will continue to the best of our ability to uphold the idea that this cost should NOT be passed on to customers. We are looking at all our options and all our connections to find the best approach to this tariff. We will work with different distributors and manufacturers to smooth out the process for our customers as much as possible.
Existing Orders:
For all of our customers who have existing orders with us, we will not be increasing the price; You will not receive an email asking for additional or adjustment payments to secure your order. What you have paid for is set and you will receive it as it comes in stock. With consideration to that, please bare with us if the products are facing shipment delays. As an effort to keep costs low, the shipments may be subject to different methods of handling than our usual process.
Future Pre-Order Listing:
As we've observed, tariff rates can skyrocket overnight. Due to this, we are expecting the overall item prices to increase in general. We will be temporarily limiting the posting of certain scale figures or higher value pre-orders. We will continue to offer pre-orders for prize figures, small blind boxes, and other items as usual.
Our In-Stock selection:
All of the products in our in stock page will remain the same price and will not be affected with price adjustments. These products are all available in our warehouse and can be shipped.
In short, we will not be adding the extra tariff line to your order. We will work with distributors and manufacturers to protect the anime collectibles hobby in the United States.
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As we tread through murky waters of the U.S. anime collectibles industry, we want you to know that we will do everything we can to keep prices low. We greatly appreciate all of the support we've received over the years and we'll do our best to get through these difficult times together. If you have any further questions regarding the topic, please reach out to us anytime.
Otaku Owlet Team
De Minimis Exemption Suspension:
- What this suspension means for our U.S customers?
- What this means for our international (outside of U.S) customers?
- Pricing - No changes.
- Shipment Transit Time - We are seeing shipments getting delayed longer than usual by 1-2 months due to an increase in customs inspection of entering the and exiting the U.S. Usually our shipments arrive roughly 1 week after the customs clearance process has began, but we are now seeing the customs clearance process hold our packages for inspection from 3-4 weeks before clearing them to send to our warehouse. All pre-orders’ "Estimated In-Stock" dates are now expected to be pushed by 1-2 months as a result of the increased customs clearance times. Please assume 1-2 months in addition to the expected date in the product description.
- Example:
Effects on Service: