The Blubber

If Donald Trump wins the 2024 U.S. presidential election, you might find your next laptop significantly more expensive. As part of his campaign, the former president and GOP candidate has pledged to impose hefty tariffs of 10% to 20% on goods from all countries, with a special 60% rate for imports from China. While these tariffs are technically paid by importers, they are typically passed on to consumers through higher retail prices. According to a recent report by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), even Trump’s lower proposed tariffs would cause steep price hikes on popular gadgets like laptops, monitors, TVs, smartphones, and desktop computers.

Partnering with analyst group Trade Partnership Worldwide (TPW), the CTA estimates that a combination of a 10% global tariff and a 60% China tariff would push laptop prices up by 45%. That would mean an additional $357 on an average laptop, currently priced at around $793. Premium models, like those in the best ultrabooks or gaming laptops category, would see price hikes of about $450 for every $1,000 of current pricing.

“Tariffs are regressive taxes that Americans end up paying, not foreign governments,” said Ed Brzytwa, CTA’s VP of International Trade, in an interview with Tom’s Hardware. “They harm poorer people more than wealthier ones because these added costs are passed on to consumers."

While importers, which include companies, OEMs, or retailers, pay the tariffs upfront, nearly 100% of those costs are transferred to consumers. This was the case with previous tariffs imposed by both the Trump and Biden administrations on Chinese imports like semiconductors, batteries, steel, minerals, electric vehicles, and medical products.

In addition to laptops, prices for other electronics are also expected to surge. The CTA and TPW predict smartphone prices would rise by 25.8%, monitors by 31.2%, and game consoles, which are mostly made in China, would jump by 39.9%. Desktop PCs, which are less reliant on Chinese manufacturing, would see smaller increases of around 6%.

Overall, electronics prices could rise by a collective $90 billion each year, driving up costs for U.S. consumers and potentially leading to fewer sales across the tech industry.