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Tariffs, tariffs, tariffs!
To give you the big picture of whats happening,U.S.
Tariffs are inherently political, but lets drop all the partisan noise.
But before we dive into their insights, lets first break down what tariffs actually are.
What are tariffs?
Tariffs are taxes, or extra fees, added to imports products brought in from other countries.
To paint you a picture, let’s say a package arrives at a New York port from China.
When the government deemed trade practices unfair, it turned to tariffs as a protective measure.
According toCNN Business, this action saved 1,200 tire jobs, but Americans suffered price surges on tires.
Tariffs can also be used as a negotiation instrument.
According toPolitico, this strategy worked in Trumps favor.
Fast forward to 2025, and were on a different playing field.
Why is Trump turning to tariffs again?
Lets hear it from the horses mouth.
In response, Trump threatened tariffs on these countries until the crisis is alleviated.
The 10% tariff on China, on the other hand, still stands.
Keep in mind that this isnt a new move for Trump.
In May 2019, Trump lifted the metal tariffs on Canada and Mexico but not for the EU.
Did Trump’s first-term metal tariffs meet his objective to protect domestic manufacturing?
In 2025, Trump is imposing stricter metal tariffs.
He told Toms Guide that the 10% tariffs on Chinese imports wont move the needle much.
The ultimate cost impact borne by U.S. consumers is likely to be fairly small, Miller said.
Some companies will absorb the higher costs, but others will pass on the tariff impact to consumers.
Thinkcheap gaming laptops,Chromebooks,Amazon Fire tablets,entry-level phonesandbudget TVslikeTCLand Hisense.
But what about the metal tariffs, will they affect the tech industry?
According to Miller, not much.
I asked Dubravac whether the tariffs will affect laptops, and he shared a similar sentiment.
What about the Taiwan-based chip tariffs?
International Trade Commission working paper.
Put simply, most Americans can stomach the minor impact of tariffs on Chinese goods and metals.
But once Trump slaps Taiwan with chip tariffs, be prepared to clutch your pearls.
Will the tariffs help the U.S. reclaim chipmaking dominance?
Will Trumps proposed Taiwan-based chip tariffs help him meet this objective?
According to the experts, maybe.
But its a long shot and it could take years.
Companies cant just flip a switch and move production elsewhere.
That wont happen overnight, Dubravac said.
Short-term price increases are almost inevitable.
It would take many years of record investment to double that, DuBravac said.
Even if companies accelerated construction investment today, the impact is years away.
Final thoughts
So, what did I learn from the experts?
In this category, expect price hikes, stripped-down features or a shifting definition of what affordable really means.
Now, if Trump officially announces tariffs on Taiwan-based chips, youll suffer some serious sticker shock.
