We're roughly six months into Donald Trump's trade war, and tech firms remain in a fog, unsure what tariffs or retaliations could be coming next.
To shed light on this struggle, we invite you to join us for an Ars Live talk at 1 pm ET on Thursday, July 24, with Consumer Technology Association (CTA) Vice President of International Trade Edward Brzytwa. We'll be discussing how tech firms are responding to tariffs so far and how looming chip tariffs could pose the biggest hurdle yet in sourcing alternative supply chains. And anyone joining will have an opportunity to ask their biggest questions about how tariffs could impact consumer tech.
Before Trump even took office, experts had warned that his global trade war—imposing tariffs on imports of various goods from various countries in a bid to strike more favorable trade deals for the US—risked spiking prices of popular tech products like laptops, game consoles, and smartphones.
As Trump has wielded tariffs as a trade weapon, tech firms have had to stay on their toes, while sourcing short-term fixes to keep consumer costs low and avoid losing customers through potential price increases.
The CTA represents firms comprising the $505 billion US consumer technology industry and has been monitoring tariff impacts while advocating for sensible tariff regimes that acknowledge supply chain limitations in the tech sector.
A key issue for tech firms is sourcing alternative supply chains that can keep their costs low while uncertainty reigns. Trump's trade deals with many countries—perhaps most notably China and the European Union—remain in tense negotiations, each one potentially affecting their manufacturing costs.