Well, it seems like Trump's tariffs did bring back momentum to the PC supply chain, as a new report by Canalys shows that companies imported PC products in mass volumes.
PC Companies Tried To Escape Trump Tariffs By Importing In Large Quantities, Trying To Squeeze In Extra Margins
The new US trade policy has caused uncertainty in global markets, with them being targeted explicitly toward China, which holds a large portion of the supply chain. In order to counter the influence of tariffs, tech giants such as Apple, Dell, HP, and others managed to import PC products in massive quantities, and the increase in shipments was noted to be the highest since COVID-19, according to a report by the research firm Canalys. Now, with this, it is safe to say that corporations have a huge "tariff-free" inventory in their hands.
PC shipments experienced a surge in Q1 2025, driven by vendors accelerating deliveries to the US in anticipation of initial tariff announcements.
This preemptive strategy allowed manufacturers and the channel to stock up ahead of potential cost increases, boosting sell-in shipments despite otherwise stable end-user demand.
- Canalys
The Q1 2025 PC shipments figures grew by 9.4%, reaching 62.7 million units, and this figure includes desktops, notebooks, and workstations, which shows that the overall supply chain was keen to avoid the effect of the new tariffs, at least for the inventory they can acquire. In a previous report, we disclosed how major tech companies were forcing their suppliers to speed up the production process, and with shipment volumes seeing a massive surge, it is safe to say that the supply chain has been successful in "front-running" the new policies.
However, the consumer will have to pay for the tariffs since, according to retailers in the market, they cannot absorb the effect of new taxes, and ultimately, they will need to raise product prices. It was claimed that PC component pricing could grow by as much as 50%, and with China now facing a 145% tariff, parts will only get more expensive and challenging to acquire. This is indeed a disappointing situation to look at, given how geopolitical tensions have evolved to be a burden for an average consumer.
