Acer’s CEO, Jason Chen, announced that laptop prices in the United States will increase by ten percent starting in March 2025, citing the Trump administration’s incoming tariffs as the cause. This price hike will affect products imported after February and could cost U.S. consumers a total of one hundred forty-three billion dollars according to the Consumer Technology Association, which noted that eighty percent of laptop imports come from China. For instance, the price of Acer’s most expensive gaming laptop, the Predator Triton, is expected to rise from three thousand seven hundred ninety-nine dollars to four thousand one hundred seventy-eight dollars. Chen also warned that other manufacturers might exploit the situation to raise prices even further. As Acer explores alternative supply chains, U.S. production may rise by only eight percent, while prices could increase by as much as forty-five percent.
Most laptops are assembled in China, including those from major brands like Apple, Dell, and HP. Framework, a company that manufactures modular laptops, indicated that while their main products may remain unaffected, some modules produced in China could see price adjustments due to the tariffs. President Trump has suggested implementing tariffs of twenty-five percent or more on imported semiconductors. During a recent news conference, he stated that these tariffs could increase significantly over the next year. Trump indicated that companies could avoid these tariffs by establishing manufacturing plants in the United States, but he did not clarify whether this would apply to semiconductors.
Why do we care?
This announcement from Acer is a direct confirmation that tariffs will hit pricing, something industry analysts have warned about. With 80% of laptop imports coming from China, a 10% price hike is just the beginning.
For IT service providers, this means hardware costs will rise across the board, affecting everything from procurement strategies to managed service offerings. Higher laptop prices could push businesses toward extended device lifecycles, shifting the focus from frequent hardware refreshes to maintenance and upgrades. This also creates potential opportunities for refurbished and used hardware markets, as companies look to mitigate costs. If you are delivering hardware as a service, this is also directly impactful.
Businesses need to assess their procurement strategies now—delaying purchases may lead to higher costs later. At the same time, exploring refurbished markets, extended device lifecycles, and alternative suppliers will be key mitigation strategies. If semiconductor tariffs materialize, the ripple effect could extend beyond laptops to servers, networking, and cloud services, driving up IT costs across the board. For MSPs and IT service providers, the key takeaway is clear: expect pricing volatility and start preparing for conversations with clients about alternative solutions.
