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What just happened? One of the world’s largest PC makers has warned that prices for laptops sold in the US will soon be going up in response to Trump administration tariffs. Longtime Acer CE Jason Chen told The Telegraph that his company would have to adjust the end-user price of laptops – likely by 10 percent. The “default price increase” is directly related to the import tax, he said, adding that it’s “very straightforward.”
Acer’s higher prices will go into effect starting in March, Chen noted.
A 10 percent price hike may not sound like much, but it could drive up the cost of a laptop by several hundred dollars depending on the base price. The most expensive laptop on Acer’s online store right now, the Predator Helios 18 gaming laptop, has a list price of $3,099. A 10 percent increase would push your total out of pocket to over $3,400.
The 10 percent figure is just a baseline. According to Chen, however, some companies could very well use the tariffs as an excuse to raise their prices beyond what is needed to cover the fee and pocket the rest.
Chen said Acer would consider moving laptop manufacturing out of China – and perhaps to the US – in response to the tariffs. The company did something similar with desktop manufacturing after Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff during his first term in office.
The Consumer Technology Association believes Trump tariffs wills have a significant impact on electronics sold in the US. Consumer purchasing power could decline by $90-143 billion, the CTA warned. Sales of laptops and tablets could dip by 68 percent, game console sales could drop by 58 percent, and smartphone sales could decline by 38 percent.
CTA VP of trade, Ed Brzytwa, said retaliation against trading partners raises costs, disrupts supply chains, and hurts the competitiveness of US industries. CTA CEO Gary Shapiro agreed, adding that tariffs are a tax on American businesses and consumers.
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