The Trump administration is reportedly considering a new wave of tech tariffs.
One of the U.S. government’s most controversial decisions in recent years is reportedly mounting a sequel. According to Politico, The Trump administration is currently considering another round of tariffs on semiconductors, as well as an expanded number of tech products that would be impacted by the duties.
These tech products include not just chips, but gaming hardware like consoles and laptops.
Is the U.S. government introducing another round of tariffs on gaming products?
Earlier today (28 August), Politico reported that the Trump administration is currently considering a new round of import taxes impacting tech and hardware. The outlet quotes eight people “familiar with discussions,” saying that “a new round of sweeping tariffs on semiconductors” is being weighed.
The outlet also reports that “One tariff approach under consideration would dramatically expand the number of tech products subject to the duties, hitting not just chips but potentially many of the goods made with them, such as laptops, gaming consoles or the servers that fill data centers.”
This move is being considered in spite of tech companies reportedly warning that more tariffs would hamper U.S. efforts to dominate the field of artificial intelligence. The U.S. government is currently looking to “juice more domestic production” by tying the tariff reliefs for foreign companies to investment in U.S. chip manufacturing.
The outlet’s sources report that the Trump administration is considering a phase-in period for the new round of tariffs, but noted that plans could be revised over the next few weeks or months.
Tariff-related price hikes for console manufacturers like Sony and Nintendo have led to lawsuits over both companies in recent times. This is because the Supreme Court had struck down the tariffs initially impacting both companies, but only after they had already hiked up prices in response to the tariffs. Both companies were refunded for the taxes, but consumers were not.
Gaming hardware has infamously become costly to purchase and produce due to rising prices and RAM shortages, tied to data centres calling for an increased investment of memory chips. The Trump administration’s new tariffs have as yet been unconfirmed, however.
