Acer has become the first laptop manufacturer to raise prices in response to President Trump's 10% tariff on Chinese imports. The company's CEO, Jason Chen, announced that laptops sold in the US will increase in price by 10% starting next month, citing the import tax as the reason for the hike.

Chen made the announcement in an interview with The Telegraph, stating that the price increase is a direct result of the tariff. He believes that other laptop manufacturers will likely follow suit, and some may even use the tariff as an excuse to raise prices by more than 10%. Acer made the decision to increase prices last week, and the change will take effect in a few weeks.

The tariff has significant implications for the laptop industry, as the vast majority of laptops are assembled in China. Even US-based companies like Apple, Dell, and HP rely on contract manufacturers in China. Acer, however, has already moved its desktop computer manufacturing outside of China in response to earlier tariffs imposed by Trump during his first term. Chen hinted that the company may also consider moving some of its laptop manufacturing outside of China, with US manufacturing being one of the options.

Other laptop manufacturers, including Apple, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Razer, have not yet commented on whether they will raise prices in response to the tariff. Framework, a modular laptop manufacturer, stated that its laptops themselves will not be affected, but some of the modules may be impacted, and the company is taking this into account for future pricing.

The price increase is likely to have a significant impact on consumers, particularly in the US. With laptops being an essential tool for many individuals and businesses, a 10% price hike could be a significant burden. It remains to be seen whether other manufacturers will follow Acer's lead and raise prices, and how consumers will respond to the change.

The move by Acer highlights the ongoing uncertainty and disruption caused by the trade tensions between the US and China. As the situation continues to evolve, it will be important to monitor the impact on the technology industry and consumers alike.

In related news, small businesses are already feeling the effects of Trump's tariffs, and Big Tech companies have been largely silent on how they plan to respond to the tariffs. The situation is likely to continue to unfold in the coming weeks and months, with significant implications for the technology industry and beyond.