New duties on electronics from China, which Donald Trump promised to introduce if he wins the US presidential election, could seriously hit the wallets of American gamers, reports Gizmodo. One of the key points of his election program was the introduction of a 60% tariff on Chinese goods. Experts estimate that the cost of consoles, monitors and PCs could increase by 40-50%.
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During his campaign, Trump repeatedly emphasized the need to “punish” China for perceived trade disparities with the United States. The introduction of high duties, he said, should stimulate the return of production to the country. However, economists warn that such measures will lead to higher prices for American consumers. For example, the price of the PlayStation 5 Pro game console can rise to $1000, and new Switch 2 models will significantly exceed the cost of the original.
A study conducted by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) found that restrictive tariffs on electronics would lead to significant price increases for many devices. According to the report, laptops could rise in price by 46%, smartphones by 26%, and game consoles by 40%. And this despite the fact that the figures do not take into account possible additional costs for delivery and taxes, making the final increase in price even more significant.
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It is also noted that the introduction of high tariffs is unlikely to lead to a transfer of production to the United States, since production in the country is too expensive and in this case it will not be possible to maintain competitive prices for goods. Instead, companies will look to alternative regions for production, but this is not a quick process.
For those US residents who were planning to upgrade their equipment or purchase a new one, experts advise hurrying up with purchases before Trump’s inauguration, which will take place in January 2025.