Major board game manufacturing company Panda has started to expand production outside of China for the first time with a joint venture set up in Brazil. The news comes after months of uncertainty within the tabletop industry as the US tariffs continue.
Launched in 2007, Panda Manufacturing has produced more than 70 million board games from its site in China working with companies such as Asmodee, Stonemaier and Leder games to name a few as well as indie creators through crowdfunding sites such as Kickstarter and Gamefound.
Speaking to Board Game Wire, Panda CEO Michael Lee said, “The tariffs – particularly when they spiked to 145% in April – had a substantial impact. We saw a noticeable slowdown in new orders and several projects were temporarily paused.” He continued, “Fortunately, Panda has a global customer base. While the US represents about 58% of our business, we also serve many publishers in Europe and Asia which helped us to absorb some of the impact.”
The joint venture with Brazilian print and manufacturing company Kawagraf allows Panda to “offer clients a reliable path to navigating the high production standards Panda is known for.”
Planning on expanding their manufacturing outside of China since the first Trump administration led Panda to consider alternatives in the US, Europe and other parts of Asia. Continuing with BoardGameWire, Lee mentions “Ultimately the partnership with Kawagraf Brazil excited us the most for the following reasons. Kawagraf has great technical expertise and experience working with established international brands, Brazil offers a tax exemption policy for importing raw materials and components for products that are transformed or exported.”
The US can start to see games produced in Panda Brazil within the coming weeks, as operations ramp up at the São Paulo factory.
