As laptop makers struggle to stay profitable, some are already cutting budget models from their product lines. Here’s what that means for your chances of finding an affordable new computer.
President Donald Trump’s recent wave of tariffs on, well, pretty much everything is poised to hit the computing world hard. The sweeping new trade policy aims to raise revenue and revive American manufacturing while correcting perceived trade imbalances. However, one near-certain side effect? Thousands of products will increase in price as businesses look to offset costs.
Since I review these products daily, I wondered, « What does this mean for laptops? »
The impact of Trump’s tariffs is already visible in the US. Companies like Framework and Razer have already paused new laptop orders, and others, like Acer, planned price hikes weeks before the most significant tariffs landed. (And, given the evolving tariff landscape, as I write this, the scale of « significant », and who is affected and when, was changing almost by the hour.) To understand the complexities of this situation and what it truly means for consumers, I spoke with supply chain expert Joe Hudicka. Below, I’ll break down the potential consequences of these tariffs on laptop prices and availability, particularly for budget-conscious shoppers.No PC Component Spared: New Taxes on Everything
As imported goods face extra taxes in the form of tariff levies, the cost for a manufacturer to import a given item increases. And that cost must be borne up front when the goods hit US shores.
This is an especially big deal for products from China, given the current lay of the tariff land. Imports from China will be subject to drastically increased tariffs on all goods. (On April 9, that was a sky-high 104%, which, as I hit publish, was just pushed to 125%. Tune in tomorrow.) China is the assembly point for most laptops (not to mention many other classes of tech products), as well as a major source for the components that go into them. (According to the Consumer Technology Association trade group, China accounted for an estimated 79% of total US imports of laptops and tablets in 2023.) Laptop makers, by extension, will be pressed to pass that increase on to US consumers by raising prices.
Electronics-producing nations like China and Taiwan are especially exposed to these tariffs—both at the moment and long-term, if they stick—because they make more than just semiconductor chips. Passive components (like capacitors and resistors), printed circuit boards, display panels, and batteries, as well as more complex components, like Wi-Fi modules, are all mass-produced in China and Taiwan, with supplies and assembled parts flowing back and forth between the two countries. Even if, at some point in the future, the final assembly of laptops were to occur in the US, most components would still need to be imported from China or other Asian countries. And the tariffs of the moment would apply to these bits if imported separately, regardless of where assembly occurs.
The new tariff regime is poised to significantly hurt companies that rely on major Chinese manufacturing and assembly hubs like Shenzhen and Guangdong. Numerous smaller, lesser-known companies, such as Inventec, Ju Teng, and Pegatron, exist entirely within that electronics-manufacturing supply chain. Pressures on those firms likely would have a knock-on effect that might spread beyond just US imports, as these suppliers could feel pressure on their businesses from downstream due to, say, lesser demand by US consumers.
Even nations like Japan and South Korea, which make laptops and weren’t initially targeted with the highest tariff rates, are still subject to sweeping 10% tariffs for all trade partners, though the date of implementation was in flux as I wrote this. Plus, these companies rely on supply chains in China and Taiwan for some laptop parts. How that may play into the rates their wares are subject to when entering the US is an open question. With every major brand sourcing parts and assembly there, it’s hard to think of a corner of the laptop industry that won’t be affected.How Will Trump’s Tariffs Impact Budget Laptop Prices? Budget Buyers Will Be Hardest Hit, Experts Say
It’s hard to estimate precisely how much those prices will change, since the situation remains very dynamic.
