Lionel halts new NASCAR diecast availability as a result of tariffs

The continuing tariff warfare, orchestrated by US President Donald Trump, is now impacting the NASCAR diecast business.

Lionel Racing, who holds unique rights to supply diecast variations of NASCAR inventory vehicles, have already elevated costs because of the tariffs that now exist on imports from China. On 1:24 scale race win diecasts, the value tag went up by 18% whereas the ‘Elite’ variations went up by 29%. Lionel has been the only producer of varied NASCAR diecasts since 2013.

Nevertheless, the diecast supplier has now determined to halt availability for pre-orders totally, in addition to asserting an impression to its cargo of some new merchandise, citing uncertainty available in the market. The collector’s model of Austin Cindric’s NASCAR Cup victory from Talladega final weekend just isn’t obtainable on their web site. Nevertheless, they did put up an image of the automobile in Victory Lane with a caption that learn, ‘coming quickly.’ The most recent race win diecast that may be discovered of their store is Denny Hamlin’s Darlington victory. There’s nothing from the winners of the Bristol race weekend or the Talladega weekend that adopted.

“We all know a lot of you have got observed a halt in pre-order presents over the previous few weeks,” an announcement from the corporate learn on Monday. “It is a non permanent measure till the present tariff state of affairs settles down. We’re nonetheless working with race groups to get gross sales sheets put collectively, we’re nonetheless acquiring reference photographs and art work for raced-wins and normal vehicles, and we’re nonetheless sampling and producing diecast.

“The one issues at the moment on maintain are new pre-orders and transport from our manufacturing facility. As quickly as we will get that going once more, belief us, we are going to! Within the meantime, listed here are a number of of the die-cast that we plan to launch for pre-order as soon as tariffs stabilize.”