“This graphics card is just entirely too inexpensive for my taste,” said no one, ever. While we’re past the incredibly inflated prices of the pandemic and crypto crunch, high-end graphics cards are still far from affordable.
And they’re about to get even more expensive in the US, thanks to a little international saber-rattling between America and China.
The US had temporarily halted the 25 percent tariff on some Chinese electronics imports in 2022, but the administration has decided to let that stay expire at the end of this month. Starting June 14th, we’ll begin to see a climb in retail prices for relevant hardware.
These tariffs were initially put in place during the Trump administration, with certain categories temporarily excluded after a statutory review in 2022. But after yet another review, the US Trade Representative has announced a plan to reimplement the tariffs, with relevant hardware including “printed circuit assemblies for rendering images onto computer screens.” That’s trade lawyer speak for graphics cards.
Other components covered under the tariffs include high-end laptop trackpads, “unfinished logic boards” (i.e., motherboards without installed hardware like a CPU or RAM), power supplies, PC case enclosures, and a bunch of other minor hardware that might be triggered by dozens of other categories.
Major items in other categories include LCD controller assemblies, water and air filters, small electric motors, medical hardware (like blood pressure monitors and pulse oximeters), rear-view mirrors, bicycle helmets, and crab meat.
There’s a lot of other stuff in there, too. In short, many imported products from China are going to get noticeably more expensive.
Further reading: The best graphics cards for every budget
US companies affected by the tariffs can apply for exceptions, but most are rejected. Typically these rejections are because the companies applying for them haven’t presented plans to replace Chinese hardware and components from sources outside the country anytime soon. And since China remains the world’s premier source for manufacturing—especially in electronics—that’s unlikely to change before the summer 2025 expiration of these tariffs.
There’s a lot to be said about how and why China became a powerhouse for producing goods at all price levels, the practicality of trying to incentivize companies to manufacture in the US and elsewhere, and whether or not the initial goal of these tariffs are being achieved. (Unsurprisingly, as noted by PCMag, tech industry lobbyists aren’t pleased.) But frankly, that’s all outside PCWorld’s wheelhouse.
The bottom line is that you shouldn’t be surprised to see prices for computer parts going up in a couple of weeks, extending for a little less than a year (assuming the tariffs aren’t renewed). These price increases still won’t be as high as, say, the typical Value Added Tax seen in most of western Europe, but buying new PC hardware is definitely going to bite harder on your wallet.
Further reading: The best gaming laptops worth their salt