The effects of tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on China will soon be felt by US computer shoppers: Acer says it will raise prices of laptops by 10%.
Jason Chen, CEO of the Taiwan-based electronics-maker, told The Telegraph that Acer will implement the pricing change across the board in direct response to the tariffs. “We will have to adjust the end user price to reflect the tariff,” Chen said. “We think 10 (percent) probably will be the default price increase because of the import tax. It’s very straightforward.”
Depending on which analysis you go by, Acer is typically ranked in the top five laptop manufacturers in the US in terms of sales and market share, alongside companies such as Dell, Lenovo and Apple. Prices are expected to increase by at least 10% on goods from electronics-makers, including smartphones and appliances.
In January, the Consumer Technology Association predicted US consumers could take a $90-$143 billion hit on spending power due to tariffs. Since then, tariffs on China have been enacted, but tariffs that were planned against Mexico and Canada have been paused. However, China’s dominance in electronics manufacturing will have a larger impact on tech products such as gaming consoles, phones and TVs.
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Chen also said that Acer is considering shifting its supply chains and is even open to doing some of its manufacturing in the US. Consumers may still be able to find Acer laptops that aren’t subject to the 10% increase; the tariff upcharge won’t apply to computers that shipped out of China before February.
Although the tariffs are expected to affect a wide range of electronics products, Acer is one of the first major tech companies to specify what that cost increase will be.
Josh Goldman, a CNET managing editor who oversees PC and laptop reviews, said, “Few, if any, of the major PC manufacturers make better affordable laptops than Acer.
“Given the current situation, it’s not surprising that the tariffs will increase prices, but it will hurt average consumers like you and me, as well as education and commercial buyers who are already dealing with inflation and tight budgets,” he said.
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