LIMTOYS - Nathan 1/6 scale collectible figure (Uncharted 4)

[Bleah]

As I read it, it's the payment of duty that's been paused, not the 10% tariff. (The de minimis tax exemption in the United States is a duty exemption).

Previously the de minimis exemption allowed goods valued at or under $800 per person, per day to enter the US without duty or import taxes. Trump removed it so now duty is owed on everything below $800 as well.

Not sure what % that duty would be, but here I think it's about 4% over a certain value for 1/6 type collectable products.

Damn. I got confused on that. So 10% is still going to be levied but not anything additional because of the de minimis? So essentially, USA buyers were going to get hit higher than 10%?

 

[Asta]

Damn. I got confused on that. So 10% is still going to be levied but not anything additional because of the de minimis? So essentially, USA buyers were going to get hit higher than 10%?

It looks like it from the wording.

Trump on Saturday suspended the exemption as part of new tariffs that include an additional 10% tax on Chinese goods.

It's easier to collect the 10% tariff because many of the parcels will have it paid by the seller/carrier, and if not it's a blanket 10% on the declared value.

Duty is more complex because it varies from product to product, so it's no wonder the system couldn't immediately cope with it.

Apparently when USPS suspended receiving parcels from China it's because they hadn't been informed what they were supposed to be doing, due to the daily chaotic nature of things now.

 

[Luisenigma1]

Well, taxing Americans to dissuade them from buying foreign goods, and to buy home made goods instead.

Comparable home made goods will be extortionately expensive due to the wages and salaries American factory workers will expect to be paid.

Otherwise Sideshow would be making their product in America already.

Whichever way the cookie crumbles, many people will no longer be able to afford the cookies.

Yeah that's pretty much how I see it going. It doesn't really work because of the current situation with wages this is ultimately the government's fault and rn it's becoming worse as not all Americans can afford groceries right now. Even more so if it's US made because it will no doubt be "GrAsS FeD".

 

[RandomHero]

For now, the de minimis exemption for China has been put back. Get your made in China toys worth below $800 shipped out ASAP before he changes his mind again.


https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/07/tru...-minimis-trade-exemption-targeting-china.html

Plz release John today @R_R_X lol

 

[Gipetto0812]

thanks for all the helpful information @Asta

 

[Bleah]

It looks like it from the wording.

I tried reading a bit more. The de minimis is tariffs and tariffs are taxes and duties. So no 10%. Stop being part of the United States of Confusion, @Asta !!!


https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/07/business/economy/trump-tariffs-china-de-minimis-trade.html


Me at @Asta

 

[R_R_X]

Well, taxing Americans to dissuade them from buying foreign goods, and to buy home made goods instead.

Comparable home made goods will be extortionately expensive due to the wages and salaries American factory workers will expect to be paid.

Otherwise Sideshow would be making their product in America already.

Whichever way the cookie crumbles, many people will no longer be able to afford the cookies.

This is how it's been in Europe for ages, and every few years it gets worse. Now, across all Europe, items coming in from the US or China will get held in customs and taxed accordingly, not matter if it's marked as low value or gift. The only way to get around it, is for the sellers to operate through the IOSS system. I wonder if something of the sort will pop up in the US.

Either way this boneheaded move will not only affect collectors but brands as well. The US is a huge part of the customer base for many brands, especially third party and now a lot of them are about to lose their customer base, as many collectors in the States will need to reconsider their existing pre-orders and what they get in the future. I can say I'm already feeling it, video game figures are niche enough as it is and now people have messaged me in other places and tagged me here, worried about the price hike for future LIM releases, asking when so and so will release. I've been given the impression that we'll probably be seeing some cancellations for John and that a second batch for Nate and other figures may not perform so well. With the additional price hike of production costs and now this, it'll be harder to sell game figures and a lot of other third parties will probably be dissuaded from doing that one side character people liked from a certain IPs that is unlikely to get an official release.

I will say there is still a lot of confusion surrounding these tariffs so it's best to give it some time to find out what exactly is happening and how it can be mitigated going forward. There's always a way out, I should know, I've been dealing with this sort of headache for many years now, but Kit and IOSS have made my life as a collector much easier.

 

[Asta]

I tried reading a bit more. The de minimis is tariffs and tariffs are taxes and duties. So no 10%. Stop being part of the United States of Confusion, @Asta !!!


https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/07/business/economy/trump-tariffs-china-de-minimis-trade.html


Me at @Asta

View attachment 756083

So that's clarified then.

The de minimis threshold value refers to the minimum value of goods below which no duties and/or taxes are charged by customs authorities upon importation.

i.e., the $800 threshold.


So there's temporarily no tax at all, but some have already paid the 10% on parcels currently in transit.


Here we have 20% tax, plus duty, if it applies, at rates calculated by product.

So is the US 10% tariff classed as a duty or a tax?

 

[Bleah]

Just to clarify some things upon reading more on this.

Not all toys have predetermined tariffs for the US. These are just examples of a portion that may apply here. Toys that have human likeness (Hello 1/6 scale and action figures! Lol!) are subject to 4.7% tariffs. Robots and cars don't have any. Because of the de minimis exemption or having stuff declared undervalued (value below $800), most of our stuff never got hit with 4.7% tariffs. BUT once the de minimis exemption for China is removed, it will be 4.7% plus 10% for anything resembling a human being. Others just get the 10%.

 

[JorjeCroft]

Just to clarify some things upon reading more on this.

Not all toys have predetermined tariffs for the US. These are just examples of a portion that may apply here. Toys that have human likeness (Hello 1/6 scale and action figures! Lol!) are subject to 4.7% tariffs. Robots and cars don't have any. Because of the de minimis exemption or having stuff declared undervalued (value below $800), most of our stuff never got hit with 4.7% tariffs. BUT once the de minimis exemption for China is removed, it will be 4.7% plus 10% for anything resembling a human being. Others just get the 10%.

This thing just got more complicated

 

[Gipetto0812]

Just to clarify some things upon reading more on this.

Not all toys have predetermined tariffs for the US. These are just examples of a portion that may apply here. Toys that have human likeness (Hello 1/6 scale and action figures! Lol!) are subject to 4.7% tariffs. Robots and cars don't have any. Because of the de minimis exemption or having stuff declared undervalued (value below $800), most of our stuff never got hit with 4.7% tariffs. BUT once the de minimis exemption for China is removed, it will be 4.7% plus 10% for anything resembling a human being. Others just get the 10%.

So, my Transformers collecting should go unphased at least

Thanks to you as well, @Bleah , for helping to make sense of all this mess

 

[Asta]

Just to clarify some things upon reading more on this.

Not all toys have predetermined tariffs for the US. These are just examples of a portion that may apply here. Toys that have human likeness (Hello 1/6 scale and action figures! Lol!) are subject to 4.7% tariffs. Robots and cars don't have any. Because of the de minimis exemption or having stuff declared undervalued (value below $800), most of our stuff never got hit with 4.7% tariffs. BUT once the de minimis exemption for China is removed, it will be 4.7% plus 10% for anything resembling a human being. Others just get the 10%.

It was those smaller duties that I was presuming caused the temporary reinstating of de minimis, because they're more time consuming to calculate than simply charging 10% of the declared value regardless what's inside the parcel.

 

[R_R_X]

So that's clarified then.



i.e., the $800 threshold.


So there's temporarily no tax at all, but some have already paid the 10% on parcels currently in transit.


Here we have 20% tax, plus duty, if it applies, at rates calculated by product.

So is the US 10% tariff classed as a duty or a tax?

View attachment 756084

20% VAT? Lucky! 23% for me not counting additional import and distribution fees from the post office! 10% isn't so bad in comparison lol

 

[Asta]

20% VAT? Lucky! 23% for me! 10% isn't so bad in comparison lol

We've got used to it, and suffer it as a matter of course.


For Americans it's suddenly an extra expense they didn't expect or budget for. If it really is a blanket 10% on all products from China, then it'll include many things used in daily life.

It's got to be a shock to the system.

As you wrote, the US is a huge part of the customer base for many. Kit said it was for him as well.

Therefore this one 'simple' act may have far reaching consequences.

It was like taking a sledgehammer to a finely tuned machine and expecting it to run more efficiently, but instead finding that it costs more to run afterwards.

 

[R_R_X]

We've got used to it, and suffer it as a matter of course.


For Americans it's suddenly an extra expense they didn't expect or budget for. If it really is a blanket 10% on all products from China, then it'll include many things used in daily life.

It's got to be a shock to the system.

As you wrote, the US is a huge part of the customer base for many. Kit said it was for him as well.

Therefore this one 'simple' act may have far reaching consequences.

It was like taking a sledgehammer to a finely tuned machine and expecting it to run more efficiently, but instead finding that it costs more to run afterwards.

Exactly. For us that have been getting screwed over for years with this sort of thing, it almost seems silly to see all the outrage over 10% VAT but for people who never had to deal or budget for it, it definitely comes as a shock, especially when it was so abruptly implemented that even USPS didn't know how to handle it.

The worst part for collectors in the US will probably be dealing with customs, as they are likely woefully unprepared for any of this. For sellers like Kit and companies like LIM it could lead to a loss of a large number of customers.

Unfortunately it is what it is, I'm sure Kit will find a way to minimize the headache for his US customers but for companies making the figures it will definitely get harder. Right now I feel like a lot of brands with a huge percentage of US customers will need to rethink their plans. Mars Toys comes to mind with their Batman '66 line. As well as LIM obviously, I'm curious to see how many cancellations John will get and if US collectors will still be eager to get Nate from Kit with the additional 10% tax on top. Also curious to see what will happen with video game figures in general.

On the topic of Uncharted, due to these recent developments, side characters like Sully and so on probably have a lower chance of getting made now. I just don't see many people paying for him with the price hike and with the uncertain future of everything. People may not realize it but these video game figures really don't sell that much, they're considered profitable for us because we usually make enough back to invest in other projects and we don't have to pay any additional license fees, but it is nothing compared to what Hot Toys and even third parties, make with superheroes. So with these new roadblocks to consider, we'd rather focus on and develop other iconic game characters we'd also like to add to my own collection, as we do these figures for ourselves as much as we make them for everyone else.

 

[hersic]

20% VAT? Lucky! 23% for me not counting additional import and distribution fees from the post office! 10% isn't so bad in comparison lol

Are you Spanish? Don't tell me we are "neighbors!"! Or at least, VAT “brothers”

 

[vaanrose]

Just to clarify some things upon reading more on this.

Not all toys have predetermined tariffs for the US. These are just examples of a portion that may apply here. Toys that have human likeness (Hello 1/6 scale and action figures! Lol!) are subject to 4.7% tariffs. Robots and cars don't have any. Because of the de minimis exemption or having stuff declared undervalued (value below $800), most of our stuff never got hit with 4.7% tariffs. BUT once the de minimis exemption for China is removed, it will be 4.7% plus 10% for anything resembling a human being. Others just get the 10%.

These dolls were subject to their own classification under the HTS 9502 heading, which covered 'Dolls representing only human beings.'

However, 9502 (and 9501, tricycles and scooters) were folded into subheading 9503 at some point. I can't figure out when exactly, all I know is the current 2025 Tariff schedule Chapter 95 now begins at 9503. They have also removed several sub-classifications of 9503 to more broadly cover the general category of "toy" under 9503.00. (For example, to name just a couple, 9503.41, stuffed animals, and 9503.49, non-stuffed toys representing animals, are also now removed and rolled back under 9503.00).

9503.00, currently, has a 0% duty fee from any column 1 country (which is every country aside from Belarus, Cuba, North Korea and Russia).

Take this with a grain of salt because I'm just Some Guy and before yesterday the most I knew about toy tariffs was that 90s court case where Marvel argued X-Men weren't human so they could be imported cheaper, but the tariff schedule is available online for anyone to view: https://hts.usitc.gov/

I believe at present we are only to be subjected to the 10% tariff, (plus any brokerage fees if shipped through private couriers ) presuming this morning's pausing of the De Minimis repeal doesn't last.

Probably the wrong thread for this but it's relevant everywhere now

 

[fantomascr]

On the topic of Uncharted, due to these recent developments, side characters like Sully and so on probably have a lower chance of getting made now. I just don't see many people paying for him with the price hike and with the uncertain future of everything. People may not realize it but these video game figures really don't sell that much, they're considered profitable for us because we usually make enough back to invest in other projects and we don't have to pay any additional license fees, but it is nothing compared to what Hot Toys and even third parties, make with superheroes. So with these new roadblocks to consider, we'd rather focus on and develop other iconic game characters I'd also like to add to my own collection, as we do these figures for ourselves as much as we make them for everyone else.

May I ask how many figures Lim produce in general for a figure like Nake? are we taking around 1,000units?

 

[hersic]

I am a little confused with OSK.

I've been wanting to buy a second Nate figure since I received the first one, but it was already out of stock and won't let me make the order, however, every day the price keeps changing ($258$... 268$... 288$...)

Is this a normal repricing or have I suddenly forgotten how to order?
I seem to remember Kit saying he would leave the active tab for figures he expected to re-stock, but that it changes the price so much has me clueless

 

[Asta]

Exactly. For us that have been getting screwed over for years with this sort of thing, it almost seems silly to see all the outrage over 10% VAT but for people who never had to deal or budget for it, it definitely comes as a shock, especially when it was so abruptly implemented that even USPS didn't know how to handle it.

The worst part for collectors in the US will probably be dealing with customs, as they are likely woefully unprepared for any of this. For sellers like Kit and companies like LIM it could lead to a loss of a large number of customers.

Unfortunately it is what it is, I'm sure Kit will find a way to minimize the headache for his US customers but for companies making the figures it will definitely get harder. Right now I feel like a lot of brands with a huge percentage of US customers will need to rethink their plans. Mars Toys comes to mind with their Batman '66 line. As well as LIM obviously, I'm curious to see how many cancellations John will get and if US collectors will still be eager to get Nate from Kit with the additional 10% tax on top. Also curious to see what will happen with video game figures in general.

On the topic of Uncharted, due to these recent developments, side characters like Sully and so on probably have a lower chance of getting made now. I just don't see many people paying for him with the price hike and with the uncertain future of everything. People may not realize it but these video game figures really don't sell that much, they're considered profitable for us because we usually make enough back to invest in other projects and we don't have to pay any additional license fees, but it is nothing compared to what Hot Toys and even third parties, make with superheroes. So with these new roadblocks to consider, we'd rather focus on and develop other iconic game characters I'd also like to add to my own collection, as we do these figures for ourselves as much as we make them for everyone else.

And it's probably going to get worse as this was reported today alongside the news of the temporary lifting of the 10% tariff:

[Today] Trump said he expected to announce "reciprocal tariffs" on many countries next week, a plan he had outlined on the campaign trail by which the US would levy tariffs at the same rates that other counties apply to the equivalent products made in the US.