The year 2021 is starting off with some bad news for PC builders. Asus graphics cards and motherboards sold in the US are seeing price increases due to the return of tariffs on certain imports from China.
The issue became apparent on Monday when an Asus marketing representative said the price increases will start appearing in early 2021. “Our new MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) reflects increases in cost for components. operating costs, and logistical activities plus a continuation of import tariffs,” the Facebook posting said.
As a result, the company’s RTX 3090 ROG Strix OC Edition graphics card now retails for $1,979—up from $1,799. The Asus KO Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 OC Edition, meanwhile, has shot up to $639, an increase from $549.
The tariffs come from the outgoing Trump administration, which imposed a 25% duty on electronic components imported from China in May 2019. Affected products include graphics cards, motherboards, in addition to PC desktop cases and power supply units that output more than 500 watts.
The White House later granted temporary reprieves on the tariffs, citing requests from US stakeholders, but that exemption lasted only until Dec. 31. So don’t be surprised if you see more price increases in the coming weeks.
That said, many PC manufacturers have been moving their production out from China to neighboring areas, including Taiwan and Southeast Asia. We’ve reached out to the PC manufacturers for comment on the tariffs, and we’ll update the story if we hear back.
In the meantime, the other problem facing PC builders is the lack of supplies. The latest graphics cards from Nvidia and AMD continue to be out of stock at all major retailers, which may persist for the next few months.