In response to Mattel’s price increase due to President Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods, Trump threatened to impose a 100% tariff on Mattel toys, effectively barring them from their largest market. Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz stated that the company does not plan to manufacture in the U.S., aiming for efficient, cost-effective production elsewhere while maintaining American design and creativity. Despite acknowledging the increased cost of toys resulting from his tariffs, Trump rationalized this as a trade-off, and Vice President Vance further defended the tariffs, linking them to increased domestic weapons production and national security. Mattel plans to reduce its reliance on Chinese imports to 15 percent by 2026.
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Following Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz’s announcement of price increases due to tariffs and plans to diversify its supply chain away from China, President Trump threatened to impose a 100 percent tariff on Mattel toys. This threat, stemming from Kreiz’s statement that Mattel wouldn’t relocate manufacturing to the U.S., escalates the ongoing debate surrounding tariffs and their impact on the toy industry. Trump’s actions disregard industry concerns about the impact of high tariffs on toy availability and affordability. The administration has shown no indication of granting exemptions for toys despite industry lobbying efforts.
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Facing increased tariffs on goods from China, Mattel, the maker of Barbie, announced plans to raise toy prices in the US market to offset losses. These price increases are a direct result of President Trump’s trade war, with the company citing potential costs of $270 million this year alone. To mitigate future impacts, Mattel is diversifying its supply chain and relocating production of 500 toys from China. However, the company does not intend to shift production to the United States, instead opting for other cost-effective manufacturing locations abroad.
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We at Mattel deeply regret an error on packaging for our “Wicked” dolls, which mistakenly printed a link to an adult website instead of the official “Wicked Movie” landing page. This mistake, primarily affecting US-sold dolls, is unacceptable and we are taking immediate action to correct it. We urge parents to discard or cover the packaging to prevent children from accessing the incorrect website, and we apologize for any distress this has caused.
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Mattel has issued an apology for an embarrassing error on the packaging of their “Wicked” dolls. Instead of directing consumers to the official movie website, WickedMovie.com, the packaging mistakenly listed the URL for a pornographic website. Mattel is taking immediate action to correct the error and advises parents to discard or cover the incorrect link. The company acknowledges the inappropriateness of the mistake, particularly given the target audience for the dolls. Consumers who have already purchased the dolls can contact Mattel customer service for further information.
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John Q. Hosedrinker