Toy Association Continues to Advocate Against Potential Tariffs on Toys

January 6, 2025 | The Toy Association is driving an extensive advocacy campaign to protect members and the broader toy industry in response to President-elect Donald Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on all products (including toys) manufactured outside the United States. The Toy Association’s efforts include direct outreach to Members of Congress and Trump’s transition team, assisting members in grassroots advocacy, and spreading awareness about how devastating and inflationary tariffs would be for kids, parents, and toy businesses alike.

“With Trump’s inauguration less than two weeks away, The Toy Association is leading a strategic advocacy campaign on behalf of the U.S. toy industry to exclude toys from any tariff policy put forth by the President-elect when he takes office,” said Kathrin Belliveau, chief policy officer at The Toy Association. “Our industry’s ability to thrive hinges on decisive action. As we continue to stress the urgency of avoiding tariffs on toys, we stand ready to work alongside Members of Congress and the incoming administration to promote trade policy that helps strengthen our industry while achieving U.S. foreign policy objectives."

With the 119th Congress sworn in on January 3, The Toy Association’s Owen Caine, vice president of government affairs, was on Capitol Hill that day, visiting 32 congressional offices and meeting with both returning and new Members of Congress to discuss issues of critical importance to the industry – with tariffs being the main topic of these conversations.

“The Toy Association is keeping the dialogue open with congressional representatives as January 20 (Inauguration Day) approaches,” said Caine. “The productive meetings we held last week allowed us to effectively communicate the many ways in which tariffs would harm American families’ ability to afford safe, high-quality toys for their children. The Toy Association is continuing to raise awareness on the issue and support members in their outreach to elected officials. Our goal is to ensure the industry’s position is heard loud and clear by the incoming administration, and we look forward to working with them.”

With elected officials back in their home districts over the holidays, The Toy Association encouraged members to set up meetings with their local representatives to discuss tariffs and provided members with resources to assist in their outreach. This week, The Toy Association sent a second direct email to all members encouraging them to continue their outreach and providing additional resources to aid in these efforts. The Association is currently working on plans to facilitate virtual meetings between member companies and Members of Congress. Details will be shared in the coming days.

The Toy Association has developed key talking points for conversations with representatives, including statistics on the impact of tariffs and key information related to supply chain logistics, toy safety, the significant role of the toy industry in the nation’s economy, and the educational and emotional benefits of play for all ages. Companies that would like The Toy Association’s talking points and template letters, as well as information on how they can connect with their federal representatives, may reach out to Owen Caine.

Members are also invited to join The Toy Association’s weekly tariff meetings; please contact Owen Caine to learn more.