(Credit: Anbernic)
President Trump’s tariffs are having an extraordinary impact on the tech industry, and the latest has seen a retro handheld maker suspend its US shipments for the foreseeable future.
Chinese handheld maker Anbernic is most famous for its cheap Game Boy-like retro handhelds. These may soon become much harder to buy than they have been previously.
The company announced on Sunday that it would stop all shipments to the US, and it encourages its customers to use its warehouse based in the United States for future purchases.
“Due to changes in U.S. tariff policies, we will be suspending all orders shipping from China to the United States starting today,” said Anbernic on its website. “We strongly recommend prioritizing products shipped from our U.S. warehouse, which are currently not affected by import duties and can be purchased with confidence.”
The company previously offered two shipment options on its website. One was from a US warehouse, while the other has been directly from China. Anbernic has often recommended choosing direct from China for customers who want to get its newest products quickly as it often takes a while for the company to stock its US operation.
The China option is no longer available and customers in the US will need to use its warehouse or go to a third-party website to purchase an Anbernic device. It’s unclear how long the US warehouse or third-party retailers will have stock. Anbernic has yet to comment on how much stock is available in its US operation.
The company notes it will change its shipment policy if there are any changes to import duties, but for now this seems to be the future for Anbernic fans in the US.
Tariffs on Chinese imports currently sit at 145% with some confusion last week suggesting that additional levies may see it rise to 245%.