Crypto handheld buyers hit with sudden import charges

Gamers who bought Mysten Labs’ new crypto handheld say they’re getting unexpected import charges, sometimes worth hundreds of dollars, as current U.S. trade rules take effect.

Early SuiPlay0X1 customers point to President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs,” and the company has halted its next shipment while it addresses complaints and estimates likely costs.

Mysten told Decrypt it is temporarily holding the next batch while it reviews customer feedback and tallies border charges.

The SuiPlay0X1 is a portable PC in the mold of Valve’s Steam Deck, but it includes a built-in crypto wallet for Sui blockchain games. It can also run titles from Steam and the Epic Games Store, among other storefronts. The hardware was built with startup Playtron and runs its GameOS.

Flat price, thin margins leave Mysten unable to absorb Fees

The firm produced 10,000 units for early adopters at a single global sticker price of $599 in more than 100 countries, a figure it says sits close to the per-unit build cost. With such thin margin, the company emailed buyers on Thursday to say it can’t cover the surprise import charges for everyone.

“At this small scale, it is not possible to absorb tariffs and duties which differ for every country,” the email read. “It’s important to note: Mysten Labs does not receive any portion of duty fees or taxes. These are set by local and international governments and apply to all cross-border purchases. Given the unpredictable macroeconomic climate, we could not forecast how these fees might change during shipping.”

DHL notified this week that more than $138 in duty was due before delivery in Illinois. The parcel originated in Hong Kong.

Goods from Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, are currently hit with a 20% tariff when entering the United States. A prior de minimis rule let items under $800 avoid those charges, but Trump ended that relief in April via executive order.

Posts on social media and in the official Sui Discord show similar requests for some buyers, while others report far higher totals for one unit, some said DHL sought about $348.

A Mysten representative confirmed the wide range of assessments and told customers facing “excessive” bills to email support. The message also suggested residents of certain U.S. states appear to be seeing higher amounts than others.

“No customer should be charged duties equal to half their purchase price,” Mysten Labs wrote to buyers.

More units delayed until late August

When asked how it would assist customers with larger charges, the company did not offer specifics.

“While federal duties are harmonized across the U.S., some additional state taxes can apply, as well as courier fees for administering the charge and managing payments,” the representative said. “At this time, we are unsure of the differences in duties and shipping fees between different regions of the U.S., though we are actively working to determine what these are.”

With those questions unresolved, Mysten says it has paused further SuiPlay0X1 shipments. So far, 2,000 devices have been delivered; the next tranche of 3,000 is on hold. The company expects to restart deliveries by the end of August.

The situation has also sparked jokes and memes. One X user said they “love seeing innovation on Sui” with the “new Tariff-Drop model.” But many customers say the surprise costs are frustrating.

“If the outstanding duties of $138.11 stand, how do I get a refund?” one buyer asked in Discord. “I won’t want this product if the fees are this high—especially since I would feel purposely misled by the SuiPlay team about the total cost.”

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