US government to add 25% import tax on graphics cards, motherboards, and PC cases from China

According to a new report at PC Mag, which the outlet has confirmed with the US Trade Representative (USTR), the Biden administration is set to resume tariffs on PC hardware from the Trump era. These tariffs would place a 25% duty or import tax on goods assembled in China, including graphics cards, motherboards, and PC cases.

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There's no word on when the tariffs will resume, nor has there been an official notice with confirmation that they're right around the corner. A spokesperson from the USTR told PC Mag, "We are maintaining tariffs on products currently subject to the action, including the two tariffs you've inquired about." Translation: Yes, the GPU tax is coming back.

What does this mean for those putting together PC rigs for gaming, recreation, or even work at home? Higher prices at a time when the last thing you'd want to see is a notable rise in the cost of buying a new GPU or motherboard. Hardware like graphics cards will fall under the new 25% duty, as China is the primary manufacturing and assembly base for PC hardware.

In 2021, companies like NVIDIA, HP, and Zotac urged the US to exclude video cards and PC products from the tariffs because most manufacturing happens in China. Of course, tensions between the US and China as world superpowers are high, and we've seen trade sanctions placed on GPU hardware going into the region (you can't legally buy a GeForce RTX 4090 in China), so it makes sense that it goes both ways.

However, with the current cost-of-living crisis, inflation, and rising technology prices, adding 25% will only hurt the consumer. This is especially true now, in a transition year when NVIDIA and AMD are preparing to launch next-generation graphics and PC hardware for consumers and gamers.

We already know the GeForce RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 will be expensive, but with a 25% import tax, well, who knows how much one will cost?