The US government’s trade war with China could see a tariff imposed on game console imports.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative has suggested a number of imported goods from China could face a 25 per cent tariff.

The proposed list includes video game consoles and machines, coin-operated arcade machines, and parts related to the operation of coin-operated arcade games.

Tensions between the US and China have already seen Huawei products kicked off of Google’s Android ecosystem.

This means (trade) war

The USTR’s latest product list for tariffs is the largest in its history, though it has already hit gaming with a 10 per cent tariff on AMD and Nvidia GPU hardware.

While the previous head of the Electronic Software Association kept the organisation silent over tariffs, a recent leadership change sees the ESA more willing to comment on the increased friction.

“The video game industry boasts a trade surplus for the American economy,” said the ESA, speaking to GameDaily. “Tariffs will hurt the American economy, its industries, and its consumers.”

The tariffs also threaten the board game industry, with analysts predicting a hike of five to 10 per cent on prices across that sector.