Donald Trump administration’s initial actions regarding technology are now having a direct impact in the United States. The tariffs imposed by the government are leading to a price increase of up to 20% on PCs, with manufacturers of pre-assembled PCs facing the biggest impact. This is due to the higher tariffs the United States is charging on products imported from China, which have already come into effect.
Increased Tariffs on Imports from China and Other Countries
But it’s not just China that’s seeing these tariff increases. The tariff has jumped from 20% to 54% on many goods coming into the U.S. Other countries, such as Taiwan, Vietnam, and South Korea, which are major suppliers of products like RAM, SSDs, and graphics cards, are also facing higher tariffs. The director of Maingear, a company selling pre-assembled PCs, explained that these increased costs will be passed on to the consumer. The price increase could range between 20% and 25%.
Impact on Prices and the U.S. Economy
Puget Systems is also predicting price increases on their products, though they plan to absorb part of the cost. The expected price hike could range between 20% and 45%, starting in June. This increase is mainly due to the lack of alternative suppliers in the U.S. for many essential PC components. While semiconductors are exempt from tariffs, most of the other components still come from countries like China, which have been hit by these higher tariffs.
This situation could lead to a recession in the U.S. economy and result in job losses worldwide as manufacturers are moving production out of China to avoid these high tariffs. This adds to an already difficult situation with the shortage of graphics cards, making prices soar, and as always, the consumer will bear the burden.
