Gloomhaven Publisher Calls Tariff Pause “Bare Minimum,” Warns of Ongoing Uncertainty

The recent temporary tariff reduction between the United States and China, while offering a slight reprieve, has been met with skepticism from a key figure in the board game industry. Price Johnson, COO of Cephalofair Games, the company behind the massively popular Gloomhaven and Frosthaven board games, has publicly criticized the move, deeming it “the bare minimum step to avoid pandemic-level trade disruption.”

Johnson’s comments, shared via social media on May 12th, followed the announcement of a 90-day agreement that lowers U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods from a crippling 145% to 30%. This temporary pause is intended to provide both nations with additional time to negotiate a more comprehensive trade agreement.

While the reduction was initially seen as a potential positive for the board game industry, which has been severely impacted by the escalating tariffs, Johnson’s perspective paints a less optimistic picture. He argues that the current 30% tariff, though significantly lower than the recent peak, remains excessively high.

“That doesn’t get my praise or thanks,” Johnson stated. “That’s more/less the bare minimum step to avoid pandemic-level trade disruption.” He further emphasized that the current 30% rate is “10% higher than the effective embargo started over a month ago and 30% higher than we started this year.”

Johnson’s concerns highlight the severe strain that high tariffs place on businesses reliant on Chinese manufacturing. He points out, “Before we latch too closely on today’s ‘tariff pause’, a reminder that anything over 50% was already having a cataclysmic impact on multiple industries of small and medium enterprises. Anything over 50%, and certainly 100%, was effectively an embargo that brought China-US trade to a screeching halt.”

While acknowledging that the 90-day window might allow companies to move existing product out of China, Johnson stresses the limitations it imposes on long-term planning. “It severely limits our ability to plan and execute the rest of this year, assuming rates don’t fall further or, worse, raise again,” he explains. “That’s not a win or a ‘historic deal’.”

Johnson’s comments serve as a stark reminder that even with a temporary reduction, the uncertainty surrounding U.S.-China trade relations continues to pose a significant challenge for businesses, particularly those in the board game industry. The volatility of tariff rates and the lack of a long-term resolution create an environment of instability that hinders strategic planning and threatens the viability of many companies. His perspective gives insight into the real world effects of these tariffs, and the limitations of temporary solutions.