Lionel, NASCAR’s toy car licensee, has raised prices further following President Trump’s tariff announcements last week as collectors face the effects of the unfolding trade war. A week and a half ago, the company began informing its retail customers and wholesale clients that it was implementing a tariff surcharge for all of its diecast car sales after the U.S. announced a 20% tax on all imports from China. But after Trump announced an additional 34% levy on China last week as part of tariffs on countries around the world, Lionel sent a note to its wholesale clients like NASCAR teams and retailers on Friday alerting them of additional forthcoming hikes.
William Byron's 2025 Axalta scheme. Image from Lionel Racing.