On Tuesday, Toy Association president and CEO Greg Ahearn appeared on CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper” and claimed that President Donald Trump’s 145% tariffs on China could jeopardize the Christmas holiday.
“No toys are currently being produced in China. And there are reports that major retailers here in the U.S. are starting to actually cancel orders. So, Jake, Christmas is at risk,” Ahearn declared.
He went on to claim that American companies can’t compete with production like factories in China, and that it would take a significant amount of time for U.S. manufacturers to catch up to China’s pace.
“There are some toys that are made here in the U.S., but they’re mostly paper goods or highly automated goods. And it represents a small portion of the toys that are manufactured,” the CEO told host Jake Tapper. “It would take three to five years to be able to build out the capacity, the specialization. Again, a lot of the toys that are made in China, as you said, 80 percent are hand labor made toys.”
“It’s the face painting on a doll. It’s the hair decorating. It’s placing them the correct way and packaging. A lot of this is hand labor that can’t be automated here in the U.S.,” Ahearn concluded.
Toy Association CEO: “Christmas is at risk” due to tariffs
Watch the full video here: https://t.co/LM5AouU5LI pic.twitter.com/wxGCjawJFG— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) April 15, 2025
President Donald Trump has maintained that the tariffs will both increase jobs in the United States as well as boost American manufacturing. He said, “There’s no difference between China and any other country, except they are much larger, and China wants what we have, what every country wants what we have: the American consumer. Or to put it another way, they need our money.”