Well, it seems like the PC markets anticipate a slowdown in shipments due to President Trump's tariffs; however, the "AI PC" bandwagon is expected to maintain the demand.
PC Manufacturers See Uncertainty With Evolving Tariffs, Which Makes Future Shipment Projects Gloomy
The new rounds of tariffs did create uncertainty within the PC supply chain. With higher costs to import products, manufacturers resorted to obtaining large shipment volumes before the tariffs kicked in. While this did sustain the demand for a while, it seems like the PC industry might witness the impact of President Trump's tariffs in the future, as a new report by Counterpoint Research has discussed the situation of the PC markets in Q2 2025, revealing that while they did see a modest growth, the future does look a bit uncertain.
The Q2 growth was mainly driven by the approaching Windows 10 sunset, the early adoption of AI PCs, and stronger commercial demand caused by a pull-in during early in the quarter as the market prepared for a tariff and inventory buildup.
It is claimed that firms like HP and Dell are in "wait and see" mode, awaiting how the tariff situation evolves in the future. The demand for next-gen PC products is relatively higher in the professional segment, mainly due to the Windows 10 EOL cycle and the hardware changes needed to transition into a new system. At the consumer side, the primary demand is coming from the "AI PC" hype, mainly in mid-range laptops, but apart from it, the broader market still remains at a risk.
Due to the US tariff-related uncertainty, PC shipments will likely weaken YoY starting from H2 2025. However, demand for AI PCs is expected to become a significant tailwind in 2026. We expect more than half of the laptops shipped in 2026 onward to be an AI Laptop.
Interestingly, it is revealed that PC manufacturers are shifting their supply chain away from China to regions like Vietnam, India, and Mexico to diversify the risk that comes from mounting tariffs. And with the possibility of new semiconductor tariffs, manufacturers are still unclear on what's ahead, which is said to cause a slowdown in PC shipments in the near future, unless for some odd reason, the tariffs decided to magically disappear.
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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