Summary
According to a manufacturing industry firm’s latest report, theNintendo Switch 2could still see a potential price hike in the US due to the Trump administration’s 145% tariff on China. Although theSwitch 2is also manufactured in other nations like Vietnam and Cambodia, most of Nintendo’s console manufacturing is still done in China.
Following the Switch 2’s full reveal, Nintendo stated that the base console would start at $449, and a limited-editionMario Kart Worldbundle would cost $499. Although pre-orders for the Switch 2 have started across Europe and Australia, North America’s pre-order windows were delayed from their April 9 window to an undetermined date. Thedelay was due to the Trump administration’s sweeping tariffson goods from various nations, including Vietnam, Cambodia, and China. Since then, some of the Trump administration’s tariffs have been delayed for 90 days. Despite the ongoing tariff situation, Nintendo confirmed that the Switch 2 will launch worldwide on June 5.
Although the Trump administrationcarved out some tariff exemptions on smartphonesand other electronic devices, the Switch 2 may still face a price change.According to a Nikkei Asia report(andcorroborated by VGC), the Switch 2 could still be subject to a 145% tariff because most of the company’s manufacturing operations are based in China. Although Nintendo also manufactures Switch consoles in Vietnam, Nikkei Asia stated that the Vietnamese units only make up a small portion of the company’s global production pipeline. Under the 90-day pause on increased global tariffs, Vietnam and other Asian nations are only subject to a 10% tariff, with China being the lone exception. Additionally, the pause would end in early July, one month after the Switch 2’s June 5 release.
The Switch 2 Could Be Caught in the Middle of the US-China Tariff Situation
Despite the exemption on certain electronics, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated that those products could be subject to separate tariffs in the coming months. Though Nintendo still maintains a footprint in China, the company’s Vietnamese manufacturing branch will get plenty of use. Previous reports stated that over a millionSwitch 2 units made in Vietnam had already been shipped to the USin January and February, before any tariff-related actions by the Trump administration took hold.
As it stands, Nintendo has not announced when Switch 2 pre-orders will begin in the US and Canada. Althoughthe Trump administration’s 90-day pause affords Nintendo a windowto sell the Switch 2 at its initial $449 price tag, it remains to be seen if it will stick.
