Well, for gamers, consumer GPUs won't see a rise in pricing with Trump's new tariffs, although they are still subject to an increase from a previous tariff, creating trouble for the market.
NVIDIA, AMD & Intel GPUs Won't Get Expensive With The New Tariffs, But They Are Still Subjected to a 20% Tariff Imposed Previously
The US-China trade war has seemingly begun, and with both sides slapping new trade tariffs, the markets are in for a rollercoaster ride. The IT industry is said to be affected the most, given its closeness to the Chinese supply chain; however, according to a new federal order spotted by PCMag, it seems like GPUs are exempted from the recent tariffs imposed by Trump on China, which could've potentially raised prices by over 100%; however, this doesn't mean that a hike won't occur, as GPUs are already subjected to a previously implemented tariff.
The orders mentioned above include fifteen different semiconductor imports, which feature electronic ICs and micro-assemblies, but the respective tariff code for GPUs isn't mentioned in the list, which means that the latest round of tariffs won't impact GPU pricing, at least at the magnitude the markets were expecting. However, it is claimed that the 20% tariff implemented by the US on aluminum imports from China already covers GPUs and other PC accessories, which means that they are still anticipated to see a rise in price tag, which means gamers won't get a break.
The big question is when the supply chain will react to the newly imposed tariffs. The markets are currently holding onto the existing "un-tariffed" inventory, which means that GPUs will be out of retail stores in the upcoming times. However, since it will become necessary for businesses to pass the rise in acquisition costs to the consumer, we anticipate the retail segment to see a widespread increase in pricing in the upcoming weeks, and a full-fledged effect starting in May.
Given the already terrible inventory situation with GPUs, it seems like getting newer models would almost become impossible without breaking the bank. This means that the average consumer cannot get his hands on the latest RTX 50 series or RX 9070 SKUs. It is indeed a disappointing situation to see the markets getting dragged simply because of geopolitical tensions.
About the author: Muhammad Zuhair is a hardware and technology reporter for Wccftech, specializing in the semiconductor industry and the complex interplay between technology, manufacturing, and geopolitics. His coverage focuses on the corporate strategies and technological roadmaps of industry giants like TSMC, NVIDIA, Samsung, and Intel. Zuhair's expertise lies in deconstructing complex topics such as fabrication nodes (e.g., 2nm process), the economic impact of policies like the CHIPS Act, and the strategic development of AI infrastructure from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel.
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