In the wake of Nintendo’s decision to delay opening its Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders in the US following upheaval and uncertainty around newly-imposed tariffs, the company has seen a 10% drop in its Tokyo-listed shares, reports Bloomberg.
Nintendo made the call to hold off on opening pre-orders in the US last week, after Donald Trump’s latest tariffs on, well, everything that isn’t American, it seems. Markets across the globe have been similarly affected as companies and governments consider the best course of action in response.
Trump’s tariffs include a blanket 10% duty on “all imports and higher targeted levies on electronics from key trading partners”, which has resulted in a 24% tariff on Japanese goods.
Nintendo’s official statement to the press last week said that:
“Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start April 9, 2025 in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions. Nintendo will update timing at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged.“
The knock-on effects are all too obvious, of course, and the markets have, as expected, reacted immediately. It’s yet more bad news for the gaming giant — when they should really be revelling in the Switch 2’s reveal — as the company has also been affected by 46% tariffs imposed on Vietnam by Trump.
As reported by Investing.com, Nintendo had already shifted some production to Vietnam to offset existing tariffs on Chinese goods, only to now find themselves in a worse position.
Switch 2 pricing has been a contentious point amongst fans already, so many gamers in the US are understandably concerned as they watch for Nintendo’s next move with the 5th June console launch date approaching.
