Moebius suspends imports from China. Let's hope this is just a temporary setback and prices don't skyrocket

[Tim W. SoCal]

4-25-25 Update: Due to the US Tariff issues with China, we have had to suspend pre-orders on this item. If you already pre-ordered, we will cover you at the price you ordered even if we have to take a loss. That said, we are also happy to cancel and refund any pre-orders. We will begin accepting new pre-orders as soon as we have some clarity on pricing. This issue has also delayed the shipment from China as Moebius is not willing to pay the 145% Tariff currently in place. We expect tariffs to moderate and for the shipment to proceed, but anything is possible. We are happy to cancel and refund or exchange any pre-orders in place now, but we cannot hold the pre-tariff pricing. We suggest you keep your pre-orders in place to protect the pre-tariff prices. If the item were to be cancelled, you would naturally receive a refund or store credit. We will post any updates we get here and change the date as we update. Thanks for your patience!

Edited April 28 by Tim W. SoCal
Aother fat finger typo

[oldcarfan]

I worry about these companies and how they will weather this more than I worry about myself, I have plenty of stuff to build. Most manufacturers are dependent on China.

[LDO]

I was planning to get an all new 1/16 model of a Leopard 2A7 tank, but that is also on hold. 

[Mark C.]

2 hours ago, oldcarfan said:

I worry about these companies and how they will weather this more than I worry about myself, I have plenty of stuff to build. Most manufacturers are dependent on China.

I hate it when politics interfere with the hobby!  😠

I too have some concern about the effects that this will have on the model companies, the distributors, the local hobby shops who may already be struggling, etc.  

Let's hope this foolishness ends sooner than later.

[stavanzer]

1 minute ago, Mark C. said:

Let's hope this foolishness ends sooner than later.

Something we can all agree on!

[stitchdup]

divert the boats to europe, we'll buy it if its at usa prices instead of the current near double prices. its a win for the company as they get direct distribution in europe and can sell their made in china stock without tariffs and a win for modellers as we wont be paying 2 or 3 lots of import duty like we do currently with american kits since we pay usa imports tax, usa state sales tax (if bought on ebay froma usa seller) and then local import duty when it arrives in europe. The model companies could find ways around the tariffs that actually help them get new markets and if they choose one with a trade deal you guys can mail order from there with the only real difference being the extra 2 weeks delivery

[maxwell48098]

The only problem with producing in China is that the tools, once sent there, can't be taken out.  If my memory serves me correctly, based on a conversation with a former colleague who worked for Walmart back then,Walmart was the one who drove model companies to have their kits produced in China instead of US, using "Walmart approved" companies so that the wholesale prices would be low enough to maintain Walmart margins. Walmart also got the first containers of the new products. (This didn't make hobby shop owners happy.)  As it turned out, several years later, Walmart dumped models altogether.  Walmart did the same with other folks like Black and Decker where the B&D products sold at Walmart had their own, lower "Walmart" specs.  Those lower spec B&D tools didn't last, and hurt the B&D brand as well.

 

A.J.

[1972coronet]

I wonder as to why Moebius has that addendum (for the lack of the proper term) attached only on the 1970 Ford F-350 Ramp Truck ? 

Must be because of its pending arrival status vs. the kits that are already on terra firma... 

[bobthehobbyguy]

Not really a surprise a $40 kit becomes a $100 kit. Nobody going to buy at that price.

I wonder if Round 2 is going to make a similar statement.

[Matt T.]

50 minutes ago, 1972coronet said:

I wonder as to why Moebius has that addendum (for the lack of the proper term) attached only on the 1970 Ford F-350 Ramp Truck ? 

Must be because of its pending arrival status vs. the kits that are already on terra firma... 

It's also on the '65 B/FX Comet Cyclone.

The '65 Novas and lifted F-250 are here already. So yes, it only applies to kits that are still overseas.  

[GoodbuildNY]

Tariffs are based on suppliers cost NOT retail pricing so yes unfortunately we will likely see a increase in prices but not 145% of retail price 

[GMP440]

3 hours ago, maxwell48098 said:

The only problem with producing in China is that the tools, once sent there, can't be taken out.  If my memory serves me correctly, based on a conversation with a former colleague who worked for Walmart back then,Walmart was the one who drove model companies to have their kits produced in China instead of US, using "Walmart approved" companies so that the wholesale prices would be low enough to maintain Walmart margins. Walmart also got the first containers of the new products. (This didn't make hobby shop owners happy.)  As it turned out, several years later, Walmart dumped models altogether.  Walmart did the same with other folks like Black and Decker where the B&D products sold at Walmart had their own, lower "Walmart" specs.  Those lower spec B&D tools didn't last, and hurt the B&D brand as well.

 

A.J.

    It's possible that what the Walmart employee  heard may have been heresay based on second or 3rd hand information as to Walmart forcing kits to be produced in China.  Maybe someone from Round 2 who has been there for a long time can substantiate this?

Edited Monday at 06:07 PM by GMP440

[Force]

22 minutes ago, GoodbuildNY said:

Tariffs are based on suppliers cost NOT retail pricing so yes unfortunately we will likely see a increase in prices but not 145% of retail price 

Yes you will see an increase in price, the import tariffs falls on the importer/retailer who have to pay the tariff on their prices from the manufacturer in China or from whatever country they get the stuff from that Trump has put tariffs on, and the importer/retailer will forward their increased cost to the end customer who have to pay more for the product...that's how it works.

[Rbray47]

The long term downside to our tariff situation is, once they go away or stabilize (and they will) the retailers won't drop the prices back to sanity. Much like when production went overseas, prices continually crept higher instead of passing those savings onto the consumer. It'll suck, but that's the end cost of doing business with communists. 

[stitchdup]

1 hour ago, Rbray47 said:

The long term downside to our tariff situation is, once they go away or stabilize (and they will) the retailers won't drop the prices back to sanity. Much like when production went overseas, prices continually crept higher instead of passing those savings onto the consumer. It'll suck, but that's the end cost of doing business with communists. 

It was your president that added the tariffs, not china.

[Rbray47]

11 minutes ago, stitchdup said:

It was your president that added the tariffs, not china.

Fair is fair. Look up China's tariffs on the US. Yes, proudly, he is my President. 

[stitchdup]

12 minutes ago, Rbray47 said:

Fair is fair. Look up China's tariffs on the US. Yes, proudly, he is my President. 

he started it. and now since china was prepared, hes lost. china is the only place we can get tech made as they are the only place with 300,000 specialist engineers and 90% of the rare earth minerals needed to make them. even the rare earth minerals mined in the usa get sent to china for processing because it is very dangerous to do, with massive amounts of toxic waste leftover, hence china does it. they have engineers, we have a generation of baristas and drug addict tech (this micro dosing they talk about is what addicts do every day) moguls being idolised for a new colour of phone. china was ready for this, nobody else was and its us that have to pay more for everything as usual.

[Rbray47]

3 minutes ago, stitchdup said:

he started it. and now since china was prepared, hes lost. china is the only place we can get tech made as they are the only place with 300,000 specialist engineers and 90% of the rare earth minerals needed to make them. even the rare earth minerals mined in the usa get sent to china for processing because it is very dangerous to do, with massive amounts of toxic waste leftover, hence china does it. they have engineers, we have a generation of baristas and drug addict tech (this micro dosing they talk about is what addicts do every day) moguls being idolised for a new colour of phone. china was ready for this, nobody else was and its us that have to pay more for everything as usual.

Lmao show us on the doll where Trump touched you. 

He's trying to right the wrongs from 100 years of failed foreign policy. If you want a strong economy and US jobs, it'll hurt in the short term. That's the problem today. Nobody wants to give up anything no matter the gains down the line. 

That's all I'm going to say on this topic and will show myself out of this thread. This is a modeling forum. 

[Rodent]

12 hours ago, stitchdup said:

divert the boats to europe, we'll buy it if its at usa prices instead of the current near double prices. its a win for the company as they get direct distribution in europe and can sell their made in china stock without tariffs and a win for modellers as we wont be paying 2 or 3 lots of import duty like we do currently with american kits since we pay usa imports tax, usa state sales tax (if bought on ebay froma usa seller) and then local import duty when it arrives in europe. The model companies could find ways around the tariffs that actually help them get new markets and if they choose one with a trade deal you guys can mail order from there with the only real difference being the extra 2 weeks delivery

It is quite possible that some or all of the OEM licenses the kit makers have would not allow this without additional fees to expand their distribution territories. The company I work for does not make something you can hold in your hand, but we are an OE licensee for most of the major players. Some of the licenses are worldwide, some are not. It depends on the OEM. Mr. Goldman, Mr. Solie, and the others would have to confirm/deny this though.

[GoodbuildNY]

3 hours ago, Force said:

Yes you will see an increase in price, the import tariffs falls on the importer/retailer who have to pay the tariff on their prices from the manufacturer in China or from whatever country they get the stuff from that Trump has put tariffs on, and the importer/retailer will forward their increased cost to the end customer who have to pay more for the product...that's how it works.

I’m not sure you completely understand what I’m saying and I did say prices will likely go up ( and they have been for many years now regardless of tariffs) . So to explain it simply using non exact numbers , if a model kit costs ( lets say Round 2 ) $20 per kit produced and shipped than the tariff is on that $20 expensive/product which would be $29. Yes that will likely be passed on down the chain but the total( cost + tariff ) would be $49 to retail mark up which would likely be another $10 putting it around $59. Yes it still stings but the point is that tariffs ( 145%) in this case aren’t based/applied on msrp. That’d put pricing well into the $80 range. 

[Dave Van]

Look into the book '100 year marathon' to see what China's goals are world wide and to the USA.

Something had to be done. Become informed about more than our plastic toys. 

PS I have worked with people in China. The PEOPLE are great.......government not so much. Thanks

[Volzfan59]

2 hours ago, Rbray47 said:

Fair is fair. Look up China's tariffs on the US. Yes, proudly, he is my President. 

Mine too!

 

21 minutes ago, Dave Van said:

Look into the book '100 year marathon' to see what China's goals are world wide and to the USA.

Something had to be done. Become informed about more than our plastic toys. 

PS I have worked with people in China. The PEOPLE are great.......government not so much. Thanks

As always Dave Van, Spot on commentary.

[Can-Con]

For a place that's not supposed to get "political", it sure is getting political looking.😒☠️

[1972coronet]

I was admonished to delete a forwarding statement in another post regarding the 'tear-ifs' - a P.M. from one of the admins . I obliged. 

Apparently it's open season now ?

[Stef]

Just curious, is it true the AMT/RC2 golden "checkerboard" model car boxes were created and sold exclusively through Wallyworld?