China Dominates U.S. Toy, Christmas Goods Market Amid Tariff Tensions

As U.S.-China trade tensions resurface in political discourse, recent data confirms that American consumers are still overwhelmingly reliant on Chinese factories for toys and holiday products, as per Al Jazeera.

Former New York Times columnist Charles Blow reignited the conversation during a May 5 appearance on CNN’s News Night with Abby Phillip, referencing a New York Times article that claimed China manufactures “nearly 80 percent of all toys and 90 percent of Christmas goods sold in America.” The comment came just a day after President Donald Trump, during a media interview, defended his tariff policies, suggesting that “girls in the United States do not need to have 30 dolls.”

Trump has reignited focus on U.S.-China trade with proposals of a 145 percent tariff on Chinese imports. However, experts and data analysts suggest that in industries like toys and seasonal goods, the U.S. has limited leverage.

“China makes 80 percent of all toys sold in this country and 90 percent of all Christmas goods sold in this country,” Blow said. “We have a lot of leverage with China. The Christmas and the doll industry is not one of them.”

While his estimates were slightly rounded up, trade data shows they’re largely accurate.

Gilberto Garcia-Vazquez, chief economist at Datawheel, confirmed that in 2024, out of $41 billion in imported toys, games, and sports equipment, about $30 billion—roughly 73 percent—came from China. Factoring in domestic U.S. production, he estimates that China accounts for about 72 percent of all toys sold in the country.

Claire Huber, a spokesperson for the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC), supported these findings. Using 2024 data from the USITC’s DataWeb, she reported that 78.3 percent of toy imports and 85 percent of Christmas-related goods—such as lights, artificial trees, and decorations—were sourced from China. The data is compiled from the U.S. Census Bureau’s statistics.

Garcia-Vazquez added that while China dominates in most holiday product categories, Cambodia has recently overtaken China as the top supplier of Christmas lights.

An April 27 New York Times report showed 76 percent of “toys and puzzles” and 87 percent of “Christmas decorations” imported by the U.S. came from China. Bloomberg similarly reported that “roughly 80 percent of toys sold in the U.S.” are made in China, citing the Toy Association.