Business Technology Strategy

How Potential Tariffs Could Impact Your 2025 Technology Strategy

Written by Ryan Stickel | Dec 11, 2024 8:47:06 PM

If you’re planning to purchase computers or other technology in 2025, you should prepare for potentially increased costs. New tariffs on goods imported from China, Mexico and Canada could be coming soon, so let’s discuss what’s been proposed and how it could impact your business and its technology strategy.

Before we begin, we should note our bias as an MSP. It would be very easy for an MSP to use this topic as a scare tactic to sell computers to their clients. Our goal for this article is to inform our clients and readers about what’s on the horizon, hopefully saving them from potential headaches and unexpected costs down the road.

What tariffs have been proposed?

President-elect Donald Trump has proposed raising tariffs on goods imported from Mexico, Canada and China. From 2019-2023, China and Mexico were the United States’ top two trading partners for electronic products.

How will tariffs impact business technology prices and purchasing?

According to the Consumer Technology Association, computer and laptop prices could increase by 46 percent due to the tariffs and could go into effect as soon as late January. This could then lead to supply chain disruptions due to delayed shipments, decreased demand or diversified supply chain strategies.

If your business has already budgeted for technology purchases in 2025, it might be a good idea to talk with your IT partner about these potential increases and decide if your plan needs any reprioritizing.

Windows 10 End of Support

Windows 10 is reaching its end of support on October 14, 2025, and it’s important that every business upgrades its outdated devices. Looming complications from tariffs, paired with supply chain issues that we generally see during these lifecycle events, could make upgrading at the last minute as difficult as ever.

You can help your business avoid these potential hurdles by creating a plan and acting quickly. Talk with a trusted IT partner about your 2025 IT budget, and make sure you’re prioritizing any outdated devices, particularly those still running on Windows 10.

How should My Business Prepare?

It’s always best to have a long-term IT strategy informed by industry experts or professionals who understand your business. While there will always be some unexpected hurdles throughout your technology journey, a trusted IT partner can help you anticipate and plan for these situations and lifecycle events.