Square Enix Store Pauses Some Pre-Orders Due to Trump Tariffs

If you visited the Square Enix Store lately, you might not have noticed that a new notice is in effect regarding tariffs inflicted by President Donald Trump and game merchandise pre-orders. The company announced a “temporary pause” on some pre-orders as a result of the tax. As such, people in the United States may no longer see items appearing on the Japanese eStore.

The message comes up at the top of the Merchandise Pre-Orders search page in the Square Enix Store. It reads, “Effective April 9, 2025: In light of ongoing international tariff uncertainties, we have decided to temporarily pause some new merchandise pre-orders. We appreciate your understanding and support.” No other pages show the message. Only 180 pre-orders total show up in that section now. One of the last items to show up there for pre-order is the FFXIV TTRPG Scenario and Gamemaster Guide. That is the book to help create unique campaigns for the D&D style game, and orders for that began appearing at the end of March 2025. 

Here’s a screenshot of the message noting the affect of the Trump tariffs on Square Enix game merchandise:

The fact that some of these items aren’t showing up in the worldwide version of the storefront is already evident. For example, Square Enix already started taking pre-orders for the FFXIII Lightning Play Arts Shin figure in Japan. However, that isn’t showing up in the US storefront yet.

The Square Enix Store US pre-orders on some game merchandise are currently paused as a result of the Trump tariffs, and there’s no word yet on when items will appear or be available to purchase outside of Japan.