(Credit: Nintendo)
As Nintendo navigates Trump’s tariffs, the company might already have over 1 million Switch 2 consoles in the US.
Bloomberg says Nintendo is focusing most of its Switch 2 shipments on the US. This includes sending over 700,000 units from Vietnam to the US in February and 383,000 the month before.
It's not clear if the shipments only included Switch 2 consoles, but Bloomberg says customs data from Vietnam signals that Nintendo can build a “stockpile of millions” of consoles in time for the Switch 2’s June 5 launch.
Nintendo is also expected to increase shipments as much as possible after Trump hit pause on most of his "reciprocal tariffs" for 90 days. As a result, Vietnam and Cambodia — where much of Nintendo’s manufacturing occurs— will only face a 10% tariff rather than 40%+ rates.
The tariffs prompted Nintendo to delay US preorders for the Switch 2, which raises concern the company may charge more than $449.99. But by building up a stockpile, Nintendo could have enough room to weather the impact without passing on tariff costs to consumers.
In a Monday CNBC interview, Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser added, "We’ve had some time to build up inventories on a global basis” to meet the anticipated Switch 2 demand.
Meanwhile, Apple has also been flying in large shipments of iPhones to head off the impact from Trump’s tariffs. Although the president hit pause on most "reciprocal tariffs," he’s continued to escalate his levies on Chinese imports, which now stands at 125%. According to analysts, Apple manufactures about 80% of its iPhones in China.