- The US has revealed that computers, chips, smartphones, and other electronics will be exempted from the new tariffs.
- These exemptions are said to benefit GPU and console manufacturers because many chips and semiconductors will be exempted.
- Overall, many electronic consumers will likely not suffer the rumored price hikes that were supposed to go into effect because of tariffs.
The looming US tariffs were already having a negative effect across the gaming industry. Major Japanese game studios were rapidly losing stock value, and Nintendo Switch 2 was rumored to get a price increase up to $550 following the tariffs.
However, much of the gaming industry could be protected from the immediate effects of the US tariffs. The US has announced new exemptions for computers, chips, smartphones, semiconductors, and other electronics from new tariffs.
Why it matters: The exemptions announced will allow gaming console and GPU manufacturers to keep their costs low because many chips and semiconductors will not be affected by the US tariffs.
As claimed in the statement, many electronics, semiconductors, and chip-making equipment fall under the exclusions that will be protected from the reciprocal tariffs. This could help GPU and console manufacturers continue producing products while keeping a lower price.
All products that are properly classified in these listed provisions will be excluded from the reciprocal tariffs imposed under Executive Order 14257.
However, GPUs and consoles could still suffer from the ripple effects of the tariffs since they are not explicitly mentioned to be exempt from the list. Other products that are immune to the tariff include solar cells and memory cards.
It is worth noting that these exemptions to electronics from the tariffs apply even if the products are made in China, which is important because the US is getting a minimum tariff rate of 145% on imported Chinese goods.
Do you think these exemptions will make it easier for the gaming industry to go on amid the new US tariffs, or are the ripple effects still going to affect us? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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