Trump Says Kids Have Too Many Dolls — but China Exports More Than Toys

President Donald Trump suggested kids could do with fewer toys, and there are likely plenty of Americans who agree with him.

But toys are far from the only thing the US buys from China.

From electronics that keep your household running to medical equipment used in life-saving situations, those goods likely came from China.

Trump has imposed a broad 145% tariff on China, while some Chinese goods have been hit with even higher tariff rates. In a cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday, when asked about trade relations with China, Trump waved off concerns that some shelves would be empty as a result of the tariffs.

“Maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls, and maybe the two dolls would cost a couple of bucks more than they would normally,” Trump said.

The US imports about 80% of all its toys from China, according to data from the Toy Association. However, most Chinese goods would likely fall under the category of necessities, while others are an integral part of American life that cannot easily be replaced with American-made alternatives.

“A lot of products that are subjected to tariffs were never made in the US, so we don’t know how to make them,” Willy C. Shih, a professor of management practice in business administration at Harvard Business School, told BI.

For example, he said, “Liquid crystal flat panel displays are made in Asia, mostly in China. We don’t make them in the US and we never have made them here, so it’s not even a question of bringing those manufacturing back.”

Shih said that moving supply chains and establishing new factories take large investments in equipment and training, which usually pay off within years if the operation is moving to a lower-cost country. The US, he says, is not a lower-cost country.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the most essential goods the US sources from China.

Your home life would not look the same without China

From the first thing you touch in the morning to the last thing you see before you call it a night, your daily routine would not look the same without the presence of Chinese goods.

If you like smoothies in the morning, have a personal care routine, or plan to play Super Mario Bros. with your best buddies next Friday night, chances are you have household electronics made in China.

Trade statistics from the US Department of Commerce show that more than 97% of alarm clocks and wall clocks imported to the US came from China in 2024, along with 77% of video game consoles, 84% of household food blenders, and 93% of electric toothbrushes.

Additionally, 76% of US smartphone imports, 78% of US portable computer imports, and 70% of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in electronics and electric vehicles also came from China, according to United Nations Comtrade data compiled by the Atlantic Council.

Though the Trump administration in mid-April announced that some electronics, including smartphones and computers, would be exempt from the tariffs, not all are, and these exemptions could be removed at any time.

Hospitals count on medical equipment from China

According to data from the US Department of Commerce, 94% of first-aid kits and boxes imported to the US came from China, as well as 40% of rubber medical gloves and 54% of all medical adhesive dressings.

When the Biden administration announced a plan to raise tariffs on many China-made items in May 2024, the American Hospital Association published a fact sheet showing that any broad tariffs on China would impact the prices of basic medical equipment like syringes, medical masks, respirators, and gloves.

While medical supply expenses account for only around 10.5% of an average hospital’s budget, they collectively accounted for $146.9 billion in 2023, an increase of $6.6 billion over 2022.

The Biden administration ended up extending exemptions to a wide range of healthcare products through May 31, 2025, including single-use sterile drapes, laparotomy sponges, and anesthesia instruments.

When asked whether these exemptions still hold under Trump’s executive orders that did not specify exemptions, US Customs and Border Protection told BI in a March statement that they are “committed to supporting the Trump administration’s Executive Orders related to tariffs while upholding US trade laws” and that the “dynamic nature” of their mission “requires CBP to remain flexible and adapt quickly.”

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

“Higher prices for high-volume medical supplies, such as personal protective equipment and syringes, are likely to exacerbate and prolong the financial headwinds that hospitals already face today,” said the AHA in a statement in 2024.

Children get much more than just toys from China

While children need dolls, their care requires more than just entertainment.

Michael Wieder, cofounder of baby product brand Lalo, which sells everything from child-safe utensils to baby chairs, previously told Business Insider that the brand’s primary supply chain is in China, and he would have very little ability to move it elsewhere because products for children are heavily regulated for safety.

“We work with factories that have been in the business for decades, making children’s products and ensuring that they’re safe,” said Wieder. “All the factories we work with have all of the safety equipment, all the testing, all the engineering talent to ensure that we’re making the highest quality, safest products — we can’t replace that easily.”

Nearly 98% of all imported baby carriages and strollers came from China in 2024, according to trade data from the US Department of Commerce.

China produces more than just fast fashion

While cheap clothes and fashion accessories from Shein and Temu have been widely criticized for their poor quality, how fast they end up in landfills, and questionable labor practices, American apparel brands, both large and small, have told BI that they are suffering the impacts of tariffs on China.

Up to 90% of US bridal gowns are made in China, according to the National Bridal Retailers Association.

Featuring intricate details like lace, boning, and thousands of hand-sewn beads, the average wedding dress already costs $2,000 according to wedding planning platform The Knot, and could more than double under tariffs.

“The overriding feeling is despair,” Angie Oven, a bridal shop owner and president of the NBRA, told BI after a meeting she held with 75 of the group’s members.

Haley Pavone, founder and CEO of Passion Footwear, which produces shoes with fully convertible high heels, told BI that it would be impossible for her to move her supply chain out of China due to her brand’s specialized manufacturing needs and limited resources as a small business.

“Our options are to just keep paying this tariff, which isn’t reasonable,” said Pavone, “And so there’s no way to not pass that price onto the consumer, and then we just have to hope they’re willing to pay it.”