Since the beginning of 2025, the trade war between the United States and China has seen an unprecedented escalation, marked by a surge in customs tariffs. While media attention has mainly focused on strategic sectors of the industry, highlighting the risks of shortages in technological products and certain medicines, other sectors are also affected. This is particularly the case for sextech.
An industry almost exclusively made in China
China is the world's leading exporter of sex toys, with nearly 70% of global production. Almost all Brands, including those that design their products locally, are opting for Asian manufacturing, for reasons of labor costs, industrial know-how, and industrial capacity. In France and Europe, the lack of a suitable sector makes large-scale production impossible. With rare artisanal exceptions, sextech is made in China.
A domino effect on prices
As you may have noticed, in recent weeks, the United States has imposed additional customs duties of up to 145% on Chinese products, while China has responded with surcharges of up to 125% on American imports. These measures affect a wide range of products, and despite numerous exceptions intended not to further aggravate the situation, sex toys are theoretically not exempt from the rule.
The mechanism is simple: a sex toy imported from China costing €10 to purchase for an American or European distributor is taxed at 125%, or an additional €12.50 in customs duties. This additional cost will undoubtedly be partially absorbed by the brand, but will inevitably be reflected in the final price paid. by the consumer. Depending on the level of surcharge applied, and the margin that distributors are willing to sacrifice, sex toys imported from China could see their price double, or even more, in American, French, or European stores.
This political decision, if implemented, could have an unexpected domino effect: certain models or brands could temporarily disappear from shelves if importers consider the costs prohibitive or if supply chains are disrupted by the new customs formalities. Also, increased border controls and the multiplication of administrative procedures could lengthen delivery times, particularly for online orders.
Why not manufacture elsewhere?
Faced with rising prices, one logical solution would be to relocate production. But the reality is not that simple. Neither France nor most European countries have the technical expertise and infrastructure necessary to produce sex toys on a large scale. Even if a brand decided to produce in France, the cost price of a locally manufactured toy would be five to six times higher than its Chinese equivalent, making it difficult for the general public to adopt it. Furthermore, changing a global supply chain takes time and requires significant investment, which obviously couldn't happen overnight.
The few brands that have managed to make a name for themselves with the Made in France brand are primarily focusing on non-motorized models, or on artisanal manufacturing, which is easier to control in terms of production costs. While the global sex toy market is estimated at over $15 billion and continues to grow, relying solely on French manufacturing seems, for the moment, impossible. However, rising customs tariffs are likely to have an impact on short-term accessibility of these products. This will have a lasting impact on China's industrial sector.
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