Oldest toy store in Los Angeles fights to survive in face of tariffs

Kip’s Toyland has sold toys to children in Los Angeles for almost 80 years, through wars, recessions and a pandemic. But now tariffs of 145% on most Chinese imports threaten the livelihood of the city’s oldest toy shop, considering that nearly 80% of toys sold in the US are made in China.

Kip’s Toyland has sold toys to children in Los Angeles for almost 80 years, through wars, recessions and a pandemic. But now tariffs of 145% on most Chinese imports threaten the livelihood of the city’s oldest toy shop, considering that nearly 80% of toys sold in the US are made in China. “We’ve been getting letters and other communication from our suppliers that say, ‘Fasten your seat belts, this is on the way,’” said Don Kipper, the store owner. In letters that Kipper read to CNN, suppliers announced price increases and urged bulk ordering before tariff pricing kicks in. It’s another sign that President Donald Trump’s tumultuous trade war — and China’s retaliatory tariffs — have left the American toy industry reeling. The US imported about $13.4 billion worth of toys from China last year, according to US Commerce Department data, not least because of the toy manufacturing infrastructure that was created and strengthened there over the last 25 years. For Kipper, whose inventory mostly comes from China, tariffs mean prices will inevitably increase — and he’s not sure what he’ll do. He said a small business like his can’t afford to stock up, nor is it able to store a large amount of inventory. Other suppliers wrote to Kipper about halting their production lines, which would have supplied that would supply toys for holidays sales in the United States.