In an unsurprising turn of events, the days of truly cheap e-waste appear to be coming to an end. An executive order has been signed that aims to close the de minimis trade exemption. Originally, this was expected to happen back in February but was “paused” in order for proper guidelines and plans to be in place for U.S. Customs.

So what does this mean for you? As I explained earlier this year, if you’re ordering devices or products that total $800 or more, then you likely won’t notice anything different. However, when it comes to anything under the $800 threshold, that $20 R36S will now cost closer to $30.

That’s because as of May 2, when the new executive order takes effect, those cheaper devices will “now be subject to a duty rate of either 30% of their value or $25 per item, with that rate increasing to $50 per item after June 1.”

Considering the majority of the retro handhelds that we’ve come to love over the years, it looks like a major blow to the community. And it definitely is, seeing as many of those devices come via AliExpress, usually shipped directly from China to our doorstep.

There does seem to be a way to avoid the duty rates that are being tacked on. The executive order specifically states that along with the price threshold, these products must be shipped “through the postal network” in order to be affected. While the solution might seem as simple as switching to DHL or 4PX, the reality is that more often than not, packages still land on your doorstep courtesy of the U.S. Postal Service.

This means that while the retailer or OEM won’t have to take on the duty rate, it will fall to the shipping partner. At which point, you’ll probably end up getting a bill for whatever the rate was, along with any other miscellaneous nickle and diming the shipping company might try to tack on. So even if companies like Retroid, Anbernic, and others begin relying on alternative shipping methods, the end result might still be the same.

Even if the financial burden is passed onto the customers, I’m not entirely sure that this marks the end of uber-cheap devices like the R36S or BatleXP G350. If you add the 30% rate to the R36S, it’s still just $26, which is still less than half what you’ll find over at Amazon.

The bigger problem is once you start getting into devices that cost hundreds of dollars. Take the Retroid Pocket Flip 2, for example, which isn’t expected to start shipping until sometime later this month. Without accounting for taxes or accessories, the Snapdragon 865 model is priced at $229.

Factor in the duty rate, and we’re looking at an increase up to either $254 or $297, depending on how the executive order is interpreted. With something like the AYANEO Pocket EVO, retail pricing starts at $459 for the base model. So when everything is said and done, we’re potentailly ending up with a $596 handheld, which I’m sure will turn a lot of people off from even considering the EVO.

Oh, and if you thought this only affected products purchased from AliExpress, Temu, Shein, or other Chinese retailers, think again. Announced just this week, pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch 2 were slated to begin in the U.S. on April 9. However we recently learned that pre-orders have been delayed:

“Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start April 9, 2025 in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions. Nintendo will update timing at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged.”

The Switch 2 was announced with a starting price of $449.99 in addition to the Mario Kart World bundle, which comes in at $499. If impacted, things are potentially looking even worse, as Nintendo Life points out that there’s now “a 46% tariff on Vietnam, where the Nintendo Switch 2 console is manufactured, and a 24% tariff on Japan, where Nintendo Switch 2 physical cartridges are manufactured.”

All we can do now is wait and see how everything plays out in the coming months, and just how much the retro handheld market is affected. We suspect that some options will peter out while others stick around and weather the storm.

So, yeah. That being said, you might want to head over and check out our latest roundup of deals. The sooner you order, the better chances you have at getting your new devices before the May 2 cutoff date.

Retro Handheld Deals of the Week

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