The many ways tarrifs will hit electronics

Observed price changes & consumer behavior

• Some commenters report big jumps in specific laptop models versus “best under $1000” reviews, but others using price trackers (camelcamelcamel, Keepa, PriceLasso) see only normal seasonal variation so far.
• Explanation offered: retailers are still selling pre‑tariff inventory and/or are unsure tariffs will stick after the 90‑day reprieve, so they’re not repricing aggressively yet.
• Others say they rushed to buy big‑ticket items (laptops, TVs, cars, tools) before tariffs, or are now postponing all major purchases (“wait Trump out”), which they expect to deepen any downturn.
• Some expect more shopping tourism and smuggling if US prices diverge sharply from other regions; EU/Sweden users report stable or slightly lower prices so far.

De minimis removal, hobby electronics & small imports

• Ending de minimis for China and adding high per‑package duties ($50–$200 minimum, depending on timing and rules) is seen as devastating for AliExpress/PCBWay‑style hobby purchases and cheap glasses, PCBs, used GPUs, drones, etc.
• Others argue logistics will adapt: more line‑haul bulk imports and domestic redistribution, with tariffs baked into item prices rather than per‑parcel postal charges; hobby parts may become “less cheap” rather than impossible.
• There is active confusion over how different shipping methods interact with the new rules, and how strictly they’ll be enforced; several call the legal framework “spaghetti” and unpredictable.

Economic impact, taxation, and regressivity

• Many frame tariffs as a de‑facto national consumption tax, worse than a normal sales tax because they also hit inputs and unsold inventory.
• Repeated point: tariffs are regressive; lower‑income households spend a higher share of income on consumption, while wealthy households can save, invest, or borrow against assets.
• Some tie tariffs to floated ideas of eliminating income tax under ~$150k and funding government through tariffs and debt; this is widely criticized as numerically impossible and highly inflationary.

Manufacturing, reshoring & feasibility

• Skepticism that 4‑year political windows are enough to justify moving complex supply chains back to the US, especially with ~4% headline unemployment and higher input costs.
• Tension noted: if tariffs succeed in reshoring, tariff revenue evaporates; if they raise lots of revenue, reshoring must have failed.
• Several predict deindustrializing effects: more expensive components, policy uncertainty, and loss of competitiveness.

Governance, politics & spillovers

• Strong disagreement on motives: some see incoherent, personality‑driven policy and “bullying via tariffs”; others argue tariffs are common worldwide and can have benefits.
• Concerns raised about executive overreach (using “emergency” powers), corruption via exemptions, and increased smuggling.
• Climate angle: some hoped reduced consumption might cut emissions, but huge tariffs on solar panels and relaxed coal‑plant rules are cited as climate‑negative.