Today we have a very timely tariff conversation with industry expert Lutz Muller. Lutz is a graduate of the Harvard Advanced Management Program and has an MA and MBA in Business Administrations. He has been active in the toy industry since 1984 and has followed and reported on the toys from that time. He now operates Klosters Trading where he provides business intelligence to the toy industry worldwide. His network of retailers, buyers, third-party manufacturers and distributors keeps him on the cutting edge.

I ask him about his early days in the industry and the changes he has seen along the way. We quickly dive into the topic of tariffs and I ask him how toy manufactures can lessen the impact of a 25% tariff on our China goods. We discuss what companies and brands may not be affected by the tariffs and why. Could the toy industry be “devastated” and what does that look like in reality? Are there categories that will be more or less affected? Finally I ask him what steps toy manufactures can take now to navigate the tariffs.   I would encourage you to also educate yourself and sign the petition here: https://donttaxtoys.com/   Thank you Lutz for the conversation and thanks to all the listeners!