25-04-2025
Mothers race to buy popular family product that's becoming more expensive by the minute
Soon-to-be parents are rushing to buy strollers before they shoot up in price thanks to President Donald Trump 's tariffs on China.
About 95 percent of imported strollers come from Chinese manufacturers, along with three-quarters of toys and infant furniture like cribs.
Every single one of these products that gets shipped to the United States is now subject to a 145 percent tariff.
Families who had been waiting to buy essentials are now buying them well in advance, unsure how US trade policy might change over the next several months, given that Trump has already paused his so-called reciprocal tariffs until July 8.
Rayne Heath, a tech worker in Columbus, Ohio, is six months pregnant with her first child and was planning on waiting until after her baby shower to buy a stroller.
The Nuna model, the one she wanted, has a height-adjustable handle and a car seat for $1,200. She bought it just before it became $200 more expensive.
'It's a time of a lot of uncertainty, which is definitely scary as a new parent,' Heath told The Wall Street Journal.
There's no quick fix for this issue, as China is the top global producer of strollers. The country also has a wealth of molds, materials and electronic components readily available to make children's toys, which are also being hit by that 145 percent tariff.
The same is true of toddler beds, bassinets and cradles, with the US exporting nearly 75 percent of these products from China in 2024.
Experts say shoes and clothing will be less affected because much of the production of these items have been moved to Vietnam and Bangladesh.
Trump has softened his tone in recent days, saying at the White House that his tariffs on China will eventually 'come down substantially.' This hasn't been enough to calm down companies making baby products.
Enelio Ortega, chief executive officer of New Jersey-based Bambi Baby, said baby retailers like him will be raising the minimum price stores can offer their strollers at by about 30 percent in the next few weeks.
If tariffs on China remain where they are, Ortega thinks many the prices for many products will rise by at least half compared with before the tariffs.
For more advanced strollers with all-wheel suspension and one-hand folding, this could mean a price increase of $400 or more, he said.
'Baby gear as a whole has shifted to China for 15 years or longer, from low-end to high-end,' Ortega told The Journal. 'The infrastructure unfortunately cannot be picked up and moved that easily.'
Uppababy strollers, for example, went for up to $900 before Trump's new tariffs. These strollers have reclining seats, a car seat, and large storage baskets, making them perfect for long days of traveling.
The only problem is, they're made in China, which has forced the company to hike the price for its most advanced model, the Vista V3, all the way up to nearly $1,250.
Uppababy said it is delaying product introductions because it can't afford to import them to the US, despite the company spending year developing prototypes.
Company executives have told Chinese suppliers to stop shipping their products altogether in an effort to avoid the tariffs. This could eventually lead to a short supply of strollers to sell.
'There was no way to anticipate or plan for how quickly these tariffs have escalated, with China in particular,' Uppababy CEO Bob Monahan told The Journal.
'It's been incredibly difficult to watch products like smartphones and other electronics receive exemptions, while tariffs on juvenile products could put a death sentence on businesses like ours.'
One of Trump's stated rationales for imposing the tariffs on China is to move manufacturing back to the US to employ more Americans.
He also wants to reduce America's reliance on China, from which we imported 16.5 percent of our total goods in 2024, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative.
Baby product companies are especially reliant on Chinese manufacturers, particularly because they have decades of experience meeting strict US safety standards.
Third-party laboratories that inspect baby products that will go on US shelves are based in China's production hubs. Safety checks will be much harder to get done in a timely manner if manufacturing is moved to Cambodia or India.
Michael Wieder, president of Lalo, a company known for its minimalist high chairs and play kitchens is thinking about moving production out of China, where 85 percent of his inventory is made.
Still, he says he hasn't made a final decision because of the frequent changes to US trade policy in the last several months.
For now, Wieder has decided to cancel a Memorial Day sale to avoid importing more products he'd have to pay duties on. Thankfully, he has several months of stock to hold him over until 'hard decisions' will have to be made.
Trump has kept a 10 percent tariff in place for almost every country around the world - and paused his higher reciprocal tariffs for 90 days so countries could negotiate with him.
Lisa Trofe, executive director of the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, told The Journal that it would take years to build up a manufacturing system in the US for strollers that would be on par with China's.
The industry group she directs is seeking tariff exemptions on baby products.
Even large companies that produce children's items are feeling the pain of tariffs on China.
Hasbro, which sells everything from the game of Monopoly to Nerf guns, makes half of its products sold in the US in China.
Hasbro Chief Operating Officer Gina Goetter said on an earnings call Thursday that the company is moving quickly to shift production away from China. But even a giant such as Hasbro can't upend their supply lines overnight.
'China will continue to be a major manufacturing hub for us globally, in large part due to specialized capabilities developed over decades,' Goetter said.
