This Chinese camera company has halted shipments to the US – it may not be the last

Photo: Yinwei Liu / Moment via Getty Images

QHYCCD, a Chinese astronomy camera company, recently announced on its Facebook page that it will no longer ship cameras to the US because of the tariffs. “This was not an easy decision for us, and we deeply regret any inconvenience it may cause. If you’re in the U.S., we encourage you to reach out to local distributors — they may still have stock available,” the post says.

It may be a sign of what’s to come, as the US tariffs that have been such a hot-button issue over the past month start to go into effect. Many economists predicted that the US tariffs would have a broader impact on goods coming into the United States beyond higher prices. Justin Wolfers, Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the University of Michigan, explained, “If there’s equipment from highly-tariffed nations – like China – the tariffs may make them so uncompetitive that retailers drop the brand altogether rather than importing cameras they won’t sell.” Unfortunately, those predictions are becoming a reality.

“the tariffs may make them so uncompetitive that retailers drop the brand altogether”

The cessation of shipments is already being felt in other industries, too. For example, keyboard company Keyboardio announced in April that it would be pausing all US orders starting on April 23. That date was chosen to ensure orders would arrive in the US before the tariffs take effect on May 2. Keyboardio’s post on its website details the reasoning behind this, explaining that DHL has already stopped taking packages that require formal customs clearances coming into the US. The company also cites the overall lack of clarity regarding future fees and delivery times as additional reasons for pausing orders.

Additionally, popular video game controller brand 8Bitdo originally announced on April 30 that it would no longer ship to the US. It has since walked back that statement, saying it is only pausing orders from May 1 to May 5 for Chinese Labor Day. Still, as with many aspects of these tariffs, the situation is in flux and can change on a day-by-day basis.

As with many aspects of these tariffs, the situation is in flux and can change on a day-by-day basis.

The US tariffs are also affecting more well-known brands in the camera industry. PetaPixel reported today that the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 has jumped in price to $800 and is listed as out of stock on most websites, including Amazon, B&H and DJI’s own site. A DJI spokesperson told PetaPixel that “Due to local market conditions and industry environment, including trade-related policies, we may experience extended delays in restocking, and have had to adjust our pricing strategy.”

It seems unlikely that major brands like Sony, Nikon and Canon will pause shipments to the US, though Canon has said that its prices will increase. It’s also very feasible that smaller accessory brands will decide to pause orders to the US, just as gaming and computer accessory brands have started to do. Once stock that’s already in the US runs out, that could be it for some of these products for those in the US.

Thank you to DPReview reader Fervent Astronomy for the tip about QHYCCD’s announcement.

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