'He Won't Sell One Toy In The United States,' Says Donald Trump Suggesting A 100% Tariff On Mattel Which He Seemed To Mistake For A Country

Adrian Volenik

Fri, May 16, 2025, 12:31 PM 4 min read

President Donald Trump has doubled down connected his assertive tariff stance, taking purpose astatine artifact elephantine Mattel Inc. (NASDAQ:MAT) arsenic portion of his ongoing commercialized quality with China.

In remarks from the Oval Office connected Thursday, Trump seemed to mistake the institution for a country, saying, "Mattel, I don't know, I'm not truthful sure, they besides said, they're the lone state I've heard they said, ‘Well, we're going to spell counter, we're going to effort going someplace else,’ that's okay.”

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He continued, "Let him spell and we'll enactment a 100% tariff connected his toys, and helium won't merchantability 1 artifact successful the United States, and that's their biggest market."

Mattel precocious announced plans to diversify its proviso concatenation to trim its reliance connected Chinese manufacturing, a effect to Trump's steep import tariffs.

CEO Ynon Kreiz told CNBC that the institution is focused connected planetary diversification, aiming to guarantee that nary azygous state volition handle much than 25% of its sourcing by the extremity of 2025, including China. Kreiz dismissed the thought of moving accumulation backmost to the U.S., saying, "We don't spot that happening."

The company’s displacement comes arsenic Trump pushes for much U.S.-based manufacturing, contempt the higher costs this attack would enforce connected companies and consumers.

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Trump precocious downplayed concerns astir the interaction of tariffs connected artifact prices, saying children mightiness conscionable extremity up with "two dolls alternatively of 30" and that the remaining toys mightiness "cost a mates of bucks more."

According to a caller New York Times report, astir 80% of each toys and 90% of each Christmas decorations sold successful the U.S. are produced successful China. With tariffs of up to 145% presently successful place, galore companies person paused caller orders, further threatening the availability of fashionable vacation items.