So with the tarrifs soon to be coming into effect and De Minimus going away for the most part it is going to become critical to know where our kits and supplies are being made. Places like Scalemates do a great job of tracking where the companies are based, however that does not mean their products are also made there. So if anyone knows anywhere that has this information posted I, and i am assuming many others on this board, are interested in knowing. If not then perhaps this may be a good place to compile one?
To start here are the ones i know so far as of 4/19:
Academy: Korea
AFV Club: Taiwan
Airfix: UK and India
Alclad: USA
AMP: Ukraine
Amusing Hobby: China
Aoshima: Japan and Vietnam
Arma Hobby: Poland
Army Painter: China
Atlantis: USA
Bandai: Japan
Big Plane Kit: Ukraine
Clear Props: Ukraine
Dora Wings: Ukraine
Dragon: China
Eduard: Czech
Games Workshop: UK
Great Wall: China
Grex: Taiwan
Hasegawa: Japan
Heller: France and India
Hobby Boss: China
ICM: Ukraine
Kinetic: China
Kotobukiya: China
Meng: China
Miniart: Poland
Mission Models: USA
Reaper: USA
Revell: China and Poland
Roden: Ukraine
Round2: China
Ryefield Models: China
SAC: USA
SMS Paints: Australia
Special Hobby: Czech
Squadron Scale Colors: USA
Takom: China
Tamiya: Philippines
Tru-color: USA
Trumpeter: China
Turbo Dork: USA
Vallejo: Spain
Zvezda: Russia
Well,every country is affected,some more then others,so if this goes on,prices will rise on everything,but China is mostly affected 245%, add Meng,Takom and Dragon to your list from China.So fasten your seatbelts,and start building down those massive stashes.
Exactly! I’ve got enough projects to keep me busy for awhile. What I probably don’t have enough of is the supplies like bottles of paint, glue, and other small items.
Unfortunately, the Pandemic got us accustomed to “making do” with what we had in our stashes and on our workbenches so we’ll just have to tighten our belts and power through another crisis. Good Luck to everyone.
The bottles of Vallejo paint I buy (Mostly Vallejo Model Air) from my local hobby store cost about $3.50 per bottle right now. I wouldn’t be surprised if that gets raised to $3.75 or $4 per bottle in following weeks and months.
I can probably stock up on “basic” colors right now like white, black, red, and a few others. But sometimes, I can’t stock up on other specific shades of colors because I don’t know what I’m going to need until I open a model box and look at the instructions, and get ready to build a kit.
Added those to the list. Tamiya is a Japanese company, but they manufacture in the Philippines apparently. Was just as surprised when i was checking boxes and saw that.
I’d say don’t forget where all our tools come from too. Not much is made in America I suspect. Our hobby is in trouble…or at least our wallets…
Most countries have already struck deals, I think the effect will be minimal and mostly created from fear. Let’s remember the toilet paper lol. The leaders are having a big shlong contest and it might last a bit and have some effect but my bet is that it’s over soon with minimal impact and everyone forgets about it by this time next year.
Perhaps, but we must also assume for and plan for the worse. Information is power, so know what kits to get now before the big tariffs hit, which you can wait on, and which ones you may ultimately want to cancel is good to know.
Been a little while but finnally got some more entries for the list. Will update the main list in the morning.
Aoshima: Japan
Eduard: Czech
ICM: Ukraine
SAC: USA
Great Wall: China
Academy: Korea
Ryefield Models: China
AFV Club: Taiwan
Takom: China
Heller: France
Big Plane Kit: Ukraine
Dora Wings: Ukraine
Arma Hobby: Poland
Kinetic: China
This list is a neat idea, but you have to remember that where a company is headquartered does not indicate the country of origin/manufacture for a product. For instance, Airfix manufactures in Poland and India. Round 2 manufactures products in China. Grex manufactures in Taiwan.
There was a question about Tamiya: It manufactures in Japan and the Philippines, so it avoids the 145% tariff placed on Chinese imports.
As for effects: In the hobby space, we are already seeing price increases. Small companies manufacturing in China will be the hardest hit, and I have had conversations with many people for whom this is more than political brinksmanship—it’s their livelihood. The Toy Association has weekly tariff meetings, and the Hobby Coalition has explained plainly how these tariffs are extremely bad. Everyone agrees, even if they ended tomorrow, there will be a long tail to the aftermath. It’s not hyperbole. It’s just the nature of what is happening.
In other areas of the toy industry (and yes, we are a segment of the toy industry), companies have already cut staff, gone on hiatus, cancelled new product announcements, and even shutdown (gone out of business). On our side, many companies are waiting before they speak on the record. I can’t speak directly to the reasons why at this time.
Here’s how Scale Trains explains things for its end of the hobby segment and how it’s trying to handle things.
Lastly, keep this politically agnostic or I’ll have to shut it down. We can speak objectively about tariff effects without getting into the weeds politically. And no one needs to use euphemisms about sexual organs. We all know the rules. Keep it friendly and apolitical or it gets the oubliette.
Thanks for the reminder @Tim_Kidwell1 these boards are meant to be 100% apolitical. There are plenty of other forums out there where you can discuss politics if that’s your thing.
I am gonna assume someone posted something they should not have after I went to bed and required mod removal.
As others have stated this is not a thread for discussing the tariffs themselves, but rather for providing information as to where products are being manufactured. Through this information we as modelers will be able to make smarter financial decisions as to when we potential should purchase kits.
The only correction to your comment @Tim_Kidwell1 is that I am pulling the information for the country of origin/country of manufacture, whish for my part has been sourced from the boxes directly. The main reason I started this thread was because of the very reason you mentioned, that where companies are headquartered is often not the same as where they do their manufacturing. Since even places like Scalemates was not listing this information, and wanting to know this so as not to get a sudden surprise when kits I was getting from HLJ get here to the States, is the purpose behind this thread.
So to reiterate, please lets keep the discussion only to information regarding where model companies are making their stuff. All the other stuff is not subject to this discussion.
Mine was just a reminder to all reading. Checking the boxes is a great way to do this, if laborious, and I applaud your efforts. You have Airfix listed as manufacturing in the UK; yes, some production is in the UK, but the bulk of its kits come out of India. Carrera-Revell of Americas kits can be sourced from China or Poland depending on whether they come to the U.S. via the European arm.
