A new report from Bloomberg highlights how Nintendo might capitalize on a momentary pause in heightened U.S. tariffs to roll out the Switch 2 in the region.
U.S. President Donald Trump this week announced a 90-day reprieve for countries (with the exception of China) due to be hit by rising tariffs, creating a window of opportunity for manufacturers to move stock into the market.
Nintendo chose to delay Switch 2 pre-orders in the United States and Canada in response to the tariffs, which impacted regions such as Cambodia and Vietnam—where two of its main production hubs are based.
In a statement released last week, the company confirmed the Switch 2 would still launch on June 5 in both countries but that pre-orders would be delayed while it assessed the “potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions.”
Nintendo could use Vietnam assembly hub to facilitate Switch 2 launch
As noted by Bloomberg, around one third of Switch 2 units are being assembled in Vietnam—which was due to be hit with a 46 percent tariff before the plan was paused. Nintendo can use that window to move hardware from Vietnam to the United States.
Customs data provided to Bloomberg by trade analyst NBD indicates that Hosiden Corp—one of the three main Switch 2 assemblers—shipped more units to the U.S. from Vietnam in February than over the previous six months combined.
Related:Kim Swift, former Portal lead developer, joins NEARstudios as COO
It shows how Nintendo could create a stockpile in the country ahead of launch while, according to one analyst, maintaining the console’s $449 RRP—which already caused sticker shock among consumers.
“If the tariffs stay at 10 percent, Nintendo probably keeps pricing at $450 and just takes the hit on margin,” said Bernstein analyst Robin Zhu, speaking to Bloomberg. “At 46 percent Vietnam tariffs, I expected them to raise by $50 to $100.”
For more insights, check out the full report on Bloomberg.