Reacting to US Tariffs

This is some text inside of a div block.

Reacting to US Tariffs

The trade war between the United States and China has substantial implications for Wooting and its US customers. This post will address the following topics:

  • Existing preorders and backorders for US customers
  • Product availability in the short and medium term
  • Long term expectations and pricing

Please be aware that the current situation is extremely volatile. This post doesn’t serve as a specific guarantee, but as a transparent look at the principles and tactics we’re implementing to ensure we can support the US market with as little disruption or confusion as possible.

Existing Preorders and Backorders

Pricing for all existing orders will be honored, irrespective of what it costs Wooting to get the order to your front door.

It is our intention to get you your order as soon as possible. The logistics and timing for your specific order depends on several different factors, and may be different from what you expected at the time of placing your order.

80HE Prebuilt ANSI-US White Zinc

@NA-MountainGoat-2

This batch has just cleared the quality control checks! This means that the bulk freight is being prepared to ship to our fulfillment center.

In order to avoid the impact of the tariffs for these orders, we've made the decision to reroute this shipment to either our Dutch or our Hong Kong fulfillment center and ship individual parcels to customers in the US.

Regardless of whether your order ships to you from the Netherlands or from Hong Kong, we will use an express carrier to ensure that your parcel delivers on or before the 1st of May. This way, we can take advantage of the current "de minimus" exemption on import duties for individual parcels with an invoice value of less than $800.

This means that you will not be required to pay any additional import duties or taxes at the time of receiving your order.

Optimum Cases

@NA-Bike-2

This batch of cases has been completed, but will not be imported into the US due to the tariffs.

If your order was part of batch NA-Bike-2, then one of two things has already occurred:

  1. Your order was reallocated to the remaining "buffer stock" of an earlier batch in the US, and has been submitted to be fulfilled in the US.
  2. Your order has been moved to get fulfilled out of the Netherlands, and has been reallocated to NA-Bike-2's sister batch, EU-Fiets-2.

Orders that will be fulfilled via the Netherlands will receive a email notification of this change, and will be fulfilled as soon as tomorrow, or otherwise early next week.

Similarly to the White Zinc keyboards mentioned above, these orders will import to the US under the current "de minimus" exemption for parcel shipments worth less than $800, and will not be required to pay any additional import duties or taxes.

80HE ANSI modules

@NA-Seabass-2

The sea freight shipment for these keyboards left port in China prior to the 8th of April, and therefore will not be hit with the new tariffs under the "Goods on the Water" exemption.

US orders that contain an 80HE module will continue to be fulfilled from the US. However, continued availability for new orders the 80HE module in the US is not guaranteed. More details in the next section.

Product Availability, Short and Medium Term

Wooting has made the decision to pause all freight shipments to the United States for the foreseeable future.

Starting on the 9th of April, all freight shipments to the United States from China are subject to a 125% tariff. Moreover, the situation remains highly volatile, with policy updates often announced unpredictably, making it nearly impossible to forecast the final import cost.

The current inventory that we were able to get stocked up on in the United States, prior to the implementation of these tariffs, will be the last units that Wooting can offer at the current prices.

For many products, like the prebuilt 60HE+, we were able to stock up on many month's worth of inventory!

For some products, that wasn't possible. Specific callouts include:

  • 80HE module
  • 80HE separate cases
  • 60HE+ module
  • Optimum case

By temporarily pausing US-bound freight, we’re giving time for political and economic forces to (hopefully) shift toward more favorable conditions, and for cooler heads will prevail.

Diverting US Orders to Ship From NL

For the next two weeks, while the de minimus exemption is still valid, every US order that could be fulfilled from the Netherlands, will be diverted to do so at Wooting's expense. Every physical unit shipped this way instead of consuming stock in the US, preserves inventory in the US that can still be sold at current prices, after the de minimus exemption goes away.

If your order gets rerouted in this way, you will receive an email notification with this same context. By doing this, you’re helping us keep prices steady for fellow gamers in the US - thank you!

Our goal is to ensure we can offer our products to the US market at current prices for as long as possible. However, as soon as that inventory runs out, we will have no choice but to update product pricing to reflect our costs.

Long Term Expectations and Pricing

Looking months into the future, it is unlikely that this trade war will be resolved quickly or without lasting impacts to global trade.

Wooting will continue manufacturing our keyboards and accessories, and will build up large stockpiles at a warehouse in China, reserved to ultimately import into the United States.

Our hope is that some time in the next couple of months, there will be a window of opportunity where we can import our products into the US at reasonable prices. This may come in the form of a negotiated settlement between the Trump administration and the Chinese government, or it may come in the form of a congressional or judicial challenge to the legality or execution of these tariffs.

It is impossible to forecast when, if at all, or to what extent, such a window of opportunity will present itself.

While the long-term effects are hard to predict, we’re confident in our ability to adapt and continue supporting the US market.

Bonus Section: Speak Up!

If you're feeling frustrated or angry about how the actions of policymakers are affecting you, you're not alone. The reality is that these policies and the way they're implemented don't just affect faceless corporations. They impact small businesses like Wooting, and they make it harder (and more expensive) for you to get access to the products that give you joy.

Consider reaching out to your local representative and share your perspective. A few polite, personal words from constituents can go a long way.

Find your representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

‍Let them know:

  • You’re a customer of a small international business that’s been caught in the crossfire of the trade war.
  • You support trade policies that make room for small, innovative brands to succeed.
  • You want to keep access to products you love without unreasonable cost increases.

Even a short email or phone call makes a difference. The more voices they hear, the harder it becomes to ignore.

Final Words

We sincerely appreciate your support, patience, and understanding during this tumultuous time.

Rest assured that Wooting will do everything in our power to ensure continued access to our products, at reasonable prices.

Stay strong,

<3

Wooting