The Trump administration has once again delayed a 25% tariff on Chinese-made graphics cards, giving PC builders and gamers a temporary break from what could have been another surge in costs. The move buys the tech industry more time as supply chains adjust and prices begin to stabilize.
What’s Happening & Why This Matters
The tariff, part of the “Section 301” trade actions, was set to return on September 1. Instead, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) extended the pause for another 90 days, pushing the enforcement date to November 30, 2025 .
This is the second delay since May, when the administration first opted for a temporary halt. According to USTR, the decision reflects public comments, industry feedback, and recommendations from advisory committees. The message is clear: manufacturers, retailers, and consumers are still feeling the weight of tariffs already in place, and adding another 25% could upset an industry finally finding its footing after months of unstable pricing.
Currently, graphics card imports face a 20% duty, imposed in March. Had the 25% surcharge resumed, PC component imports would have faced tariffs as high as 45% in total. For now, only the 20% duty applies, sparing consumers from another wave of inflated costs.
The White House is also considering broader tariffs on foreign-made chips, potentially as steep as 300%, though details remain unclear. Such measures could reach beyond GPUs to cover CPUs, memory chips, and other PC essentials.
For now, industry players like Asus and Asrock are moving parts of their manufacturing away from China to factories in Southeast Asia, hedging against further trade disruptions.
The roots of the 25% tariff trace back to Trump’s first presidency, when it was introduced as a measure against what Washington viewed as unfair trade practices from China. Under the current pause, Chinese-made imports such as GPUs, motherboards, PC cases, and trackpad units valued under $100 remain exempt.
TF Summary: What’s Next
PC gamers and system builders can breathe easier for the next three months, but uncertainty remains. The pause doesn’t resolve the long-term trade dispute; it only delays the pain. If the administration allows the 25% tariff to take effect in December, the combined duties on Chinese GPUs could once again drive prices higher and strain supply.
The bigger unknown is the administration’s talk of 300% tariffs on foreign-made chips. If implemented, such measures could reshape the entire global PC hardware market, accelerating shifts in supply chains and forcing companies to rethink their sourcing strategies.
— Text-to-Speech (TTS) provided by gspeech