Tariff Volatility Is Costing Jobs at a Small California Game Company

Cephalofair Games, a seven-person company based in Rocklin, California, designs and publishes board games enjoyed by families around the world. It’s a U.S. company that hires U.S. workers — and one that has been hit hard by sudden tariff swings.

As the company shared:

“Tariff volatility has meant job eliminations, company-wide furloughs, and product delays. We are a U.S. Company. We have U.S. employees. We have U.S. families. WE pay these U.S. imposed Tariffs.”

For a business of this size, six-figure tariff costs aren’t something that can be absorbed. Products have been stuck overseas for months, projects delayed or canceled, and staffing decisions forced not by market demand — but by unpredictable trade policy.

Cephalofair’s experience highlights a broader problem small businesses are facing: when tariffs can change overnight, pricing, planning, and investment become nearly impossible. Companies can’t reliably set prices, commit to production runs, or plan for growth when policy is dictated unilaterally and without warning.

As they put it simply: they are a U.S. company, with U.S. employees and U.S. families — and they are the ones paying these tariffs.

📢 If your small business has been affected by tariffs, consider adding your experience by signing on to our open letter. Sharing these stories helps show how volatility is translating into lost jobs, delayed products, and stalled growth.