A recent policy enacted by the Trump administration aimed at restricting the export of electronic waste is causing significant concern among vintage technology collectors. The policy, intended to limit China's access to critical minerals found in consumer electronics like tungsten and lithium, is being interpreted by collectors as a potential threat to the preservation of retro gaming hardware, vintage computers, and other nostalgic media.
Collectors are worried that the new regulations could lead to the interception and destruction of items being shipped internationally. Hobbyist techknight noted on social media that "CRTs and other ewaste can no longer be exported from the USA due to a recent law, and even imports are being caught in the net." This sentiment is echoed by concerns that items shipped out of the States could be "mulched" or "liquidated" by customs agents. One instance cited involved a vintage television sent from Illinois to Australia that was reportedly destroyed by customs.
This anxiety extends beyond cathode-ray tube monitors. YouTuber and anime historian Kenny Lauderdale expressed fears that the policy could impact the shipping of older media formats like VHS tapes, warning that "there's gonna be a point where I order the last surviving copy of an anime on VHS & some underpaid customs worker is going to throw it into a wood chipper." The concern is that customs officials may not exercise discretion when identifying and confiscating what is classified as e-waste, potentially impacting sought-after items such as retro game consoles, arcade boards, and rare physical media.
This trend is not entirely unprecedented. Earlier in the year, one of the rarest video games, Tsukhime Trial Edition, was reportedly shredded by American customs while en route to its buyer. While the White House's stated goal is to reassert control over critical mineral resources, the broad interpretation and application of the e-waste policy are leaving enthusiasts of vintage technology worried about the fate of their collections and the accessibility of retro media in the future.