New US tariffs threaten to make PCs, game consoles, and data centers more expensive, again

[Daniel Sims]

Ripple effect: The Trump administration has repeatedly swung back and forth between threatening to institute sweeping tech tariffs to reinvigorate stateside manufacturing and softening its stance after clashing with reality. Reports claim that new rounds of negotiations between US officials and tech industry lobbyists might restart the cycle once more, adding to already steep recent price hikes for numerous products.

Sources told Politico that the US is considering a fresh round of tariffs on semiconductors, representing another attempt to boost domestic chip manufacturing. The tariffs threaten to raise the prices of numerous electronics, many of which are already impacted by memory shortages.

While details remain subject to change, government officials, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, favor a system that would tie an allowance of duty-free imports to a manufacturer's investment in stateside production. However, tech industry critics warn that the currently proposed allowances are nowhere near large enough, and the proposed gradual rollout period provides far too little time to boost domestic manufacturing.

President Trump has repeatedly used tariffs to try to revive US manufacturing jobs, culminating in last year's "independence day" tariffs that exceeded 50% for many large trading partners. The duties contributed to widespread price hikes on laptops and PC components before the Supreme Court struck them down. While the tariffs largely came out of customers' pockets, most manufacturers kept their portions of the estimated $166 billion in refunds.

The Trump administration also granted exceptions to some electronics and computer components during prior rounds of tariffs, but officials now believe broad duties are required to reshore production. While some companies such as TSMC and Apple have invested heavily in stateside manufacturing in recent years, tech industry lobbyists argue that seeing real results will take at least five years.

Also read: Are tech tariffs a waste of time?

Meanwhile, negotiators are also pushing back against the government by warning that chip tariffs will kneecap the US in the race to dominate AI before China catches up. The duties could dramatically raise the cost of the processors and memory going into the data centers springing up across the country. Those data centers are also behind memory shortages that have led to sharp price hikes amid a "shrinkflation" crisis in the tech industry.

While construction delays and fears of an AI bubble cast doubt upon the future of many data centers, lobbyists have used promises of surging demand to argue against new tariffs. "Every conversation is some version of: 'Please, tread carefully. You don't understand how much demand is coming, or how little capacity we have to meet it,'" one said.

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New US tariffs threaten to make PCs, game consoles, and data centers more expensive, again

 

[Kirby1]

Trump screwed up so badly in Iran, now Russia thinks it can attack a few NATO countries.

If Russia invades a NATO country north of Belarus like Latvia, it will be directly because Trump made the US military so much weaker.

God I hate living in a country run by pedophiles. And not like, smart capable but still evil pedophiles. Very very dumb and incapable ones.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Bold move Techspot, leaving this comment section open.

 

[Rudyduu]

Putting tariffs on goods not made in the US does nothing to help bring manufacturing back to the US. If a company is paying a tax on bringing goods into the country what makes anyone believe that puts a company in a better position to spend tens of millions on building a factory while making less profits? Only companies with massive profit margins and massive amounts of profits can afford to do so and it will still increases the prices consumers pay, because someone has to pay for the costs of the factories.

With that said only the richest companies can afford to bring manufacturing back without help with costs associated with building brand new factories, filling them with equipment, creating supply chains, and training employees who might not have been in manufacturing before. This won't bring meaningful manufacting jobs back to the US all it will do is bring in more taxes to US government coffers and it will hurt small to medium businesses and consumers.

All of these companies got to raise prices while blaming teriffs then got a bonus from the US Government when the tariffs were struck down by the supreme court.

 

[The Talking Tech]

Thank the Trump administration for you paying more...can't wait for the Democrats to hopefully take over in November.

 

[NumberNine]

Don't forget to keep shoveling my tax money to private interests. That's really improving my life in meaningful ways.

 

[yRaz]

Thank the Trump administration for you paying more...can't wait for the Democrats to hopefully take over in November.

Don't get your hopes up too high. They could win on the economy and war an Iran alone but I'm seeing lots of candidates trying to push progressive agendas even before they fix fundamental issues relative to the stability of country. In hearing this term "woke 1.0" and there are Democrats trying to distance themselves from it and there are other Dems criticizing them for trying to distance themselves from it.

I've been saying this for years now, the Republicans didn't "win" the last election, the Democrats lost because they alienated their base in favor or far right politics.

Obama would have been "canceled" by the modern left

 

[The Talking Tech]

Don't get your hopes up too high. They could win on the economy and war an Iran alone but I'm seeing lots of candidates trying to push progressive agendas even before they fix fundamental issues relative to the stability of country. In hearing this term "woke 1.0" and there are Democrats trying to distance themselves from it and there are other Dems criticizing them for trying to distance themselves from it.

I've been saying this for years now, the Republicans didn't "win" the last election, the Democrats lost because they alienated their base in favor or far right politics.

Obama would have been "canceled" by the modern left

Put it this way, we are too busy labeling parties and groups of people...at the end of the day I rather have "socialist Democrats" or whatever label they want to put on them than Trump for another two years.

Enough is enough, we can't even afford memory for our computers since we can't have a government that can regulate the over-expansion of A.I centers....among many, many, many other issues caused by Trump and his egotistical ways.

 

[yRaz]

Put it this way, we are too busy labeling parties and groups of people...at the end of the day I rather have "socialist Democrats" or whatever label they want to put on them than Trump for another two years.

Enough is enough, we can't even afford memory for our computers since we can't have a government that can regulate the over-expansion of A.I centers....among many, many, many other issues caused by Trump and his egotistical ways.

Trump is gone in 2 years anyway, but we could elect another Republican if the Democrats don't start looking at what pushed voters away and even towards Trump in the first place. The early stuff I'm seeing isnt any better. Mass surveillance of 3d printers, ""child safety" internet ID laws, car monitoring systems.

See, it's not that the left or right is bad, it's that extremism is bad. Both the left and right have extremism problems right now and they dial it back. They tried adopting more extreme political ideas to bring in more voters but their allienating more voters than theyre gaining.

I'd argue more than 90% of the US is in the "moderate" area and we have 2 parties that have no real interest in serving the 90%.

If my only two opens are oligarchs or gender politics in just going to sit this one out again because they're both creating a world I don't want to live in while ignoring the issues that make living my life more difficult

 

[GodisanAtheist]

If my only two opens are oligarchs or gender politics in just going to sit this one out again because they're both creating a world I don't want to live in while ignoring the issues that make living my life more difficult

- Dude, every day I wake up in awe of conservative messaging and talking points, in that they can somehow balance out a dozen oligarchs perverting our institutions, laws, representatives, economy to their own ends against a dozen femboys playing... **** high school water polo or something.

Look trans rights, I'm a take em or leave em kinda guy. They get rights, fine. They don't well that's too bad but they are a fraction of a fraction of the overall population so their lives are a sacrifice I am willing to make if need be.

But the idea that so many people casually "both sides" oligarchs and trannies will never stop nuking my mind.

 

[The Talking Tech]

Trump is gone in 2 years anyway, but we could elect another Republican if the Democrats don't start looking at what pushed voters away and even towards Trump in the first place. The early stuff I'm seeing isnt any better. Mass surveillance of 3d printers, ""child safety" internet ID laws, car monitoring systems.

See, it's not that the left or right is bad, it's that extremism is bad. Both the left and right have extremism problems right now and they dial it back. They tried adopting more extreme political ideas to bring in more voters but their allienating more voters than theyre gaining.

I'd argue more than 90% of the US is in the "moderate" area and we have 2 parties that have no real interest in serving the 90%.

If my only two opens are oligarchs or gender politics in just going to sit this one out again because they're both creating a world I don't want to live in while ignoring the issues that make living my life more difficult

You seating this one down or worst voting for a Republican I can guarantee you with a ton of certainly the country and the world would be in a far worst shape by the time Trump ends his administration....I'm sorry, if you really think the country can take another two years of Trump, then there's not much you care about in your life.

 

[Kirby1]

Don't get your hopes up too high. They could win on the economy and war an Iran alone but I'm seeing lots of candidates trying to push progressive agendas even before they fix fundamental issues relative to the stability of country. In hearing this term "woke 1.0" and there are Democrats trying to distance themselves from it and there are other Dems criticizing them for trying to distance themselves from it.

I've been saying this for years now, the Republicans didn't "win" the last election, the Democrats lost because they alienated their base in favor or far right politics.

Obama would have been "canceled" by the modern left

I'm sure lots of people will vote against the left just because they have been told to fear progressivism, but republicans are making literally everything worse, so if people keep voting against wokeness and vote in favor of destruction instead, maybe America just shouldn't exist. We're just a country of lobbying rich ppl robbing everyone else. We might as well be slaves.

The only stance the right has is hate.

 

[Kirby1]

- Dude, every day I wake up in awe of conservative messaging and talking points, in that they can somehow balance out a dozen oligarchs perverting our institutions, laws, representatives, economy to their own ends against a dozen femboys playing... **** high school water polo or something.

Look trans rights, I'm a take em or leave em kinda guy. They get rights, fine. They don't well that's too bad but they are a fraction of a fraction of the overall population so their lives are a sacrifice I am willing to make if need be.

But the idea that so many people casually "both sides" oligarchs and trannies will never stop nuking my mind.

This is why it feels like these Maga accounts are just bots. It's so dumb, so fully illogical. They are basically like, I'd rather have everything cost way more and have the entire country be worse off if it means we can openly hate trannies.

The obsession with gender comes from a place of deep insecurity.

 

[yRaz]

The only stance the right has is hate.

The left denying that their progressive politics aren't hate filled is part of the problem. it's just as toxic as the right pandering to rich oligarchs.

You seating this one down or worst voting for a Republican I can guarantee you with a ton of certainly the country and the world would be in a far worst shape by the time Trump ends his administration....I'm sorry, if you really think the country can take another two years of Trump, then there's not much you care about in your life.

Trump is here for another 2 years regardless. Impeachment proceedings would take that long and nothing would get done in the mean time. He would problem just keep issuing executive orders that would blaot up the courts while some still got through. He'd probably do that simply out of spite just like he did with the Canadian deal.

This is why it feels like these Maga accounts are just bots. It's so dumb, so fully illogical. They are basically like, I'd rather have everything cost way more and have the entire country be worse off if it means we can openly hate trannies.

The obsession with gender comes from a place of deep insecurity.

Stop calling everyone who disagrees with you a MAGA. I'm not a MAGA, but calling everyone a MAGA pushes voters away. Obama couldn't get elected today because he isn't extreme enough. And, what, you think calling me gay because I don't like the gender politics agenda rather than focusing on the economy and cost of living is going to make me want to vote for your party? The Democrats need to drop the extremism and adopt a more moderate agenda or we're going to have a successor to Trump and it will be your fault for telling potential voters that they don't like this part of your point just because we're lying to ourselves about wanting dicks on our ***

EDIT:
So I just stepped out for my lunch break after posting it and saw a speak by reverand Al Sharptan on TV talking about how we need to "end this era for white nationalist extremism" and automatically, this election has already separating people by talking about race and making race an issue. I guarantee that when they hear politicians given speeches like that that you're immediately allienating white voters. If you preach hate then people are going to hate what you're preaching. Until the left solves that issue they push away the voters they need. Stick to the fundamentals and there might be a chance but they refuse to do that

 

[Kirby1]

The left denying that their progressive politics aren't hate filled is part of the problem. it's just as toxic as the right pandering to rich oligarchs.

Trump is here for another 2 years regardless. Impeachment proceedings would take that long and nothing would get done in the mean time. He would problem just keep issuing executive orders that would blaot up the courts while some still got through. He'd probably do that simply out of spite just like he did with the Canadian deal.

Stop calling everyone who disagrees with you a MAGA. I'm not a MAGA, but calling everyone a MAGA pushes voters away. Obama couldn't get elected today because he isn't extreme enough. And, what, you think calling me gay because I don't like the gender politics agenda rather than focusing on the economy and cost of living is going to make me want to vote for your party? The Democrats need to drop the extremism and adopt a more moderate agenda or we're going to have a successor to Trump and it will be your fault for telling potential voters that they don't like this part of your point just because we're lying to ourselves about wanting dicks on our ***

Oh please. Anyone who think the left is filled with hate is brainwashed by fox.

The only thing the left hates is that the right hates everything because fox tells them to. They don't even think for themselves.

 

[The Talking Tech]

Oh please. Anyone who think the left is filled with hate is brainwashed by fox.

The only thing the left hates is that the right hates everything because fox tells them to. They don't even think for themselves.

Trump might not get removed, but you can't possibly disagree on the fact that he needs the Democrats to put some control and prevent him to continue to have free range on anything he wants.

With the Democrats in the House and Senate would be enough to even stop the ridiculous control Trump has on the Supreme court.

 

[yRaz]

Oh please. Anyone who think the left is filled with hate is brainwashed by fox.

The only thing the left hates is that the right hates everything because fox tells them to. They don't even think for themselves.

I don't watch Fox News. The crap you're doing is the exact stuff I'm talking about when I say the left is actively alienating potential voters

 

[dirtyferret]

But this is what the gullible trash in our country voted for....

 

[GodisanAtheist]

I don't watch Fox News. The crap you're doing is the exact stuff I'm talking about when I say the left is actively alienating potential voters

- Agree that any opposition should be focused on the economy/inflation/affordability like a guided bomb, because without that you have nothing. No agenda of any kind survives a bad economy.

Thing is there are always going to be some people who are off on their own thing and the media ecosystem is firmly in the grasp of the oligarch class who will amplify that message.

Al Sharpton, last I checked, isn't running for anything (nor is he relevant to much of anything nowadays) but you're already conflating him with the greater Dem establishment which is exactly what the powers that be want. That is why that message made it to you. It wasn't an accident.

If the Oligarchs wanted establishment Dems in power, they'd put David Duke saying insane racist **** on TV supporting the Republican party even though he is also no longer relevant to anything and it would get some people to stay home or vote for the other guys and bingo bango. If you're seeing it, its because someone wanted you to see it and wanted it to push you into whatever bucket they feel you best serve them in.

 

[Hecate91]

The left denying that their progressive politics aren't hate filled is part of the problem. it's just as toxic as the right pandering to rich oligarchs.

Two sides of the same coin, as the saying goes. Democrats won't save the US either, they'll just find some other way to tax people more.
The extremism and separation on both sides will only keep getting worse, and I can only hope people wake up before it winds up into another civil war.

 

[yRaz]

Two sides of the same coin, as the saying goes. Democrats won't save the US either, they'll just find some other way to tax people more.
The extremism and separation on both sides will only keep getting worse, and I can only hope people wake up before it winds up into another civil war.

people seem to think taxes are bad but I look at it like this, I don't mind spending money if something provides value to me. If I spend money and receive nothing then I consider that stealing. When my money is taken from me, given to billionaires to build data centers and then my bills go up because they built a datacenter near me, that's BAD use of my tax dollars and I would say provides negative value of my tax dollars, but I love the roads, utilities, schools and parks it pays for.

 

[p51d007]

Let's see...if someone manufacturers something that the United States also manufacturers, but due to their cheaper labor & manufacturing costs, can import it and sell it CHEAPER than the American made products, that is ok. But, if we manufacture something that another country does, and we can do it cheaper than that country, when we export it to that country, THEY impose an import tax on said product, which makes the price more expensive than what their product cost. And that is ok??

 

[wiyosaya]

If my only two opens are oligarchs or gender politics in just going to sit this one out again because they're both creating a world I don't want to live in while ignoring the issues that make living my life more difficult

IMO, this is not the place to vent your displeasure; venting your displeasure to your representatives might be a better outlet.

This is a paraphrase of a movie quote, but I don't remember what movie or who in the movie said it: "Not voting is a vote."

 

[wiyosaya]

Let's see...if someone manufacturers something that the United States also manufacturers, but due to their cheaper labor & manufacturing costs, can import it and sell it CHEAPER than the American made products, that is ok. But, if we manufacture something that another country does, and we can do it cheaper than that country, when we export it to that country, THEY impose an import tax on said product, which makes the price more expensive than what their product cost. And that is ok??

Unfortunately, there's a certain "Stable Genius" in Washington right now who believes that Tariffs are a magic wand that he can wave at any country he damn well pleases and that will make that country respect him, and fulfill his every ill-gotten idea about how the world bows down to him.

That "Stable Genius" is incapable of admitting that he does not know WTF he's doing, and is creating more of a mess than the country was in when he learned how to pronounce "Washington."

He's also shown us he does not have any clue about manufacturing and that waving the magic tariff wand of his couldn't possibly bring back manufacturing to the US during his "kingship."

IMO.

MAGA!!!!!!

 

[scoffer]

But this is what the gullible trash in our country voted for....

Well, my goodness, that's not very nice!