Acer Claims It’s Raising Prices 10% Because Of Trump Tariffs

Popular PC and laptop manufacturer Acer has announced that the prices of just about everything it sells in the US are about to rise by 10% due to the tariffs enacted by the new Trump administration. Calling it a new "import tax," Acer's CEO said the price rise would take effect over the next few weeks, as new tariffs on Chinese imports are enacted.

The new Trump team has made a lot of wild claims about tariffs, pulling back from several at the last moment. But it didn't blink on Chinese tariffs, which are set to come into effect for new goods supplied by China and sold in the US. That means higher prices for companies selling in America, and Acer has decided that it's the consumer who'll be paying for it.

"We will have to adjust the end user price to reflect the tariff," said Acer CEO Jason Chen in an interview with The Telegraph (via Ars Technica ). "We think 10 % probably will be the default price increase because of the import tax. It's very straightforward."

Tariffs are likely to raise prices on a range of consumer goods.Credit: Ian taylor/Unsplash

Although Acer has a reputation for more affordable gaming systems, it does offer a wide range of products, including very expensive desktop PCs and laptops. Those could cost hundreds of dollars more under the new system. While that might initially make Acer less competitive, it likely only feels confident making such price increases if its contemporaries are going to follow suit. Indeed, we've already seen major price hikes for graphics cards , even alongside shortages and scalpers driving them up further.

These price rises are likely to impact Canadian Acer fans, too. Anything shipped through a US port will also be subject to tariffs, so until new supply lines are organized—if they ever are—the whole North American continent will be facing higher prices for Acer systems moving forward.

Alongside the impact on the cost of products for consumers, Acer will also be looking to move its manufacturing out of China. While the CEO did suggest that setting up shop on US shores was a possibility, it's more likely to shift operations to an alternative Eastern country, like Indonesia or Vietnam. Acer already operates manufacturing facilities in the latter, having moved them there during Trump's first-term tariffs.