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, is 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%. And now is at 145%. 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 on that increase to US consumers by raising prices. Also at this writing, a wave of 10% reciprocal US tariffs on other nations, excepting China, was paused for 90 days. So this remains very much an evolving situation.
(Credit: Molly Flores)
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 Tariffs Impact Low-End 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. Still, supply chain expert Joe Hudicka tells me, “Tariffs tend to increase the price of imported goods, which directly affects the affordability of budget electronics, including laptops.”
With the actual numbers in flux, one conclusion is pretty much guaranteed: They’ll all be more expensive to make and buy.
Two things will likely happen as the new tariffs take hold. First, I expect prices to rise on all new laptops, as well as on incoming shipments of in-market models. Components and assembly may make up only a portion of the cost of a laptop, alongside software and licensing, marketing, and research and development. Still, if those costs are met with additional taxes at the point of import, expect that cost to pass to the consumer. Some companies may eat part of the rise. But rates in the 100% range, if they stick, are impossible for any company to simply absorb.
Acer has already announced a 10% US price hike, and other manufacturers will likely follow suit. Earlier this year, the Consumer Technology Association estimated that laptop prices could rise as much as 45% in a January forecast report titled “How the Proposed Trump Tariffs Increase Prices for Consumer Technology Products.” On a $500 budget laptop, that’s a $225 price increase, pushing a once-affordable laptop to a much less affordable $725. And mind you: These estimates were made based on an expected 10% tariff on China, not the escalating tit-for-tat fight that’s currently going on with an extra zero tacked on that.
(Credit: Molly Flores)
Second, I expect many of the most affordable models to disappear entirely as the tight profit margins on budget laptops disappear. It’s not strictly a maker of budget laptops, but we’ve already seen upgradable-laptop pioneer Framework pausing sales of some base models of its Framework 13 laptops, citing tariffs on Taiwan that would make selling the entry-level models at a profit impossible.
Most budget laptops have a slim profit margin to begin with, often 10% or less. As tariffs increase the costs of manufacturing these budget machines, many sub-$600 models may not get sold anymore as makers shift to more profitable midrange and premium ones.
According to Hudicka, affordable systems and budget shoppers may take the biggest hit. “In this space, buyers generally fall into two groups: those who prefer to buy affordable devices, and those who rely on low-cost options because they can’t afford anything else.”
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He continues, “Some consumers in the first group might decide to stretch their budgets and opt for more expensive models since the price gap has narrowed. However, the bigger concern lies with the second group—those who simply don’t have the financial flexibility. They risk being priced out of the market entirely, losing access to essential technology for school, work, or communication.”
This, indeed, is poised to hurt the most budget-friendly subcategory of laptops: Chromebooks. These lightweight systems frequently sell for less than $500, and they effect that savings by using Google’s ChromeOS instead of Windows, sidestepping the licensing expenses associated with Microsoft’s familiar operating system. The most affordable machines today are almost all Chromebooks, whether you’re looking at traditional clamshell designs or 2-in-1 models. If inexpensive Chromebooks stop being profitable and easily accessible, what we think of as the “budget laptop” category becomes a ghost town.
What Are Laptop Makers Doing About the Tariffs?
The positive news (what little there is, at the moment) is that many of the biggest laptop manufacturers have been working for months and years to diversify their manufacturing and assembly operations, shifting more of the supply chain out of China. But that doesn’t happen fast.
(Credit: Brian Westover)
HP, for example, has started moving out of China, assembling consumer laptops in Thailand and commercial laptops in Mexico, despite manufacturing the bulk of its laptops in Chongqing, China. With a new laptop production line opening in Vietnam (a country also being slammed by high tariffs, in the current scheme of things), HP plans to move 90% of production out of China this year.
Dell has major laptop and desktop assembly hubs in Xiamen and Chengdu, China, but it also has dedicated sites in Malaysia, India, Vietnam, and Poland. PC giant Lenovo, which has headquarters in Beijing, China, and Morrisville, N.C., manufactures all over Asia, including India, as well as in Mexico and Brazil. The company recently broke ground on a new manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia, too.
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(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Lenovo CEO Yuanqing Yang commented on a recent earnings call, “Our innovation investment and resilient global operations put us in a good position to achieve sustained and profitable growth in the future.”
But smaller laptop makers might have to take a different approach. Short of moving manufacturing, some companies are pausing entire product lines, taking a wait-and-see approach to the tariff turmoil. Razer has recently stopped accepting new laptop orders from its direct-sales site, even delaying the hotly anticipated Razer Blade 16 launch. MSI’s online store has also hit the brakes on new laptop orders, now offering only a “Notify me” option.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
In a recent tweet from Framework, which (as mentioned earlier) recently suspended sales of its most affordable laptop models, the company suggests that “Other consumer goods makers have performed the same calculations and taken the same actions, though most have not been open about it.”
What Can You Do to Get the Best Price on the Right Laptop?
If prices are set to rise and low-cost laptops threaten to evaporate from US store shelves, what exactly are laptop shoppers on tight budgets supposed to do? Thankfully, most of our best tips for laptop savings still hold true.
Buy now while pre-tariff inventory is available
Given that these tariffs are just now landing, you’ll find a lot of laptops currently on store shelves without any tariff-driven price increases. Equipment already in the US is still selling at regular prices, but you’ll need to move fast. Manufacturers are already starting to raise prices and are rethinking their supply lines. And if you look for models from our top 100 budget buys or the best cheap laptops, you’re bound to find some great bargains…if you don’t wait too long.
Watch for sales and discounts
Significant sales events like Back-to-School and Black Friday will continue to be ideal times to score steeply discounted products, and those sales prices will get even more attractive as prices creep up. We cover all of the major sales in our usual tech deals coverage, so keep an eye out. We’ll continue to highlight great values and bargain buys throughout the year.
That might help you score a relative bargain on a new system, but also watch for those slightly older models. If you can find a decent system about a year old, the savings might make it a smart buy, even if you forgo the latest features.
Buy used or refurbished
If new laptops are getting more expensive, then it stands to reason that not-so-new laptops will also be a smart way to go. I’ve talked about buying refurbished laptops in the past, but here’s the short version: Buy from either the brand itself or from a major retailer like Best Buy that backs the machine. This move can provide confidence that the refurbished product is decent and that you have a warranty to rely on when things aren’t working. Refurbished business laptops can be especially good deals, thanks to their generally higher build quality.
Upgrade, repurpose, and recycle
If a whole laptop is too pricey, consider upgrading what you already have. A new SSD or additional memory can do wonders for a system that has started feeling sluggish, and owners can easily service many laptops with just a screwdriver and a new drive or RAM module. A new battery is also a quick way to give your old laptop a new lease on life.
Additionally, if your Windows laptop is getting old, you might find that switching it to ChromeOS using ChromeOS Flex can turn it into a peppy browsing laptop.
About Brian Westover
Lead Analyst, Hardware
