The election of Donald Trump to the American presidency has already propelled Bitcoin to new heights and could have unexpected repercussions on several industrial sectors: artificial intelligence, but also on the video game market. The Republican candidate made no secret of his intention to massively tax Chinese productsa measure that would hit the gaming industry hard.
The latter plans to impose a 60% tax on Chinese imports, which could increase the price of consoles and gaming hardware by almost 50% from 2025.
The specter of galloping inflation
Projections from the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) paint a worrying picture of the future of this market. According to their study carried out in Octoberif such taxes were ordered, they would cause prices to rise dramatically: +46% for laptops, +40% for consoles and +26% for smartphones. Never seen before!
Concretely, the PS5 Pro could reach $1,000while a high-end graphics card would see its price jump from 900 to 1300 dollars.
A domino effect across the entire chain
The consequences of such a customs policy would go beyond the console and PC sectors. Accessories would also be affected,ith average increases, again, crazy : + 109 dollars for screens, + 74 dollars for desktop computers and + 35 dollars for headsets.
Ed Brzytwa, vice-president of the CTA, comments on the situation: “ Tariffs are regressive taxes that Americans pay. They are not paid by foreign governments. Importers in the United States pay these taxes, not foreign governments or countries. When I say they are regressive, that means they harm poor people and people of modest means more than rich people. “. In reality, this type of tax exacerbates inequalities, while claiming to “punish” exporting countries without actually succeeding.
The prospect of relocation of production to countries other than China would offer little respite. Manufacturing costs in the United States remain far too high to consider a return of production to American soil. For US gamers planning to purchase a console or build a PC, it would be wise to anticipate these acquisitions before the presidential inauguration of January 20, 2025.
- Trump plans a 60% tax on Chinese imports, potentially driving up the prices of gaming consoles and PCs by almost 50%.
- Tech products, notably the PS5 Pro and graphics cards, could reach record prices, especially affecting low-income consumers.
- Since production costs in the United States are too high, offshoring to other countries would not mitigate the price increase.
