LAFAYETTE, La. (KATC) — Earlier this week, just days after saying smartphones, laptops, and other devices would be exempt from his tariffs plan, President Trump shifted gears saying these products and parts used to make them would be targeted soon.
"The tariffs will be in place in the not distant future," Trump told reporters Sunday. "Because as you know, like we did with steel, like we did with automobiles, like we did with aluminum which are now fully on, we'll be doing that now with semiconductors, with chips, and numerous other things."
For local electronic and I.T. experts, now is the time to prepare.
"Already, a screen alone can cost upwards of $600," says franchise owner of NerdsToGo Lafayette, Charles Rourk, with 20 years in the industry. "Some of my vendors are telling me that now's the time to buy, because who knows, by June, July time frame, it's very possible we'll see increases on these parts as well as computers."
Rourk says like others, the majority of the parts he orders come from overseas — China — which faces a 145 percent tariff on all imports and is expected to affect the cost of the latest iPhone and highly sought-after gaming consoles like the newest Nintendo Switch, unveiled on April 2, what the president calls "Liberation Day." When it comes to the new iPhone 16 Pro Max, specifically with the 6.9-inch display and 1 terabyte of storage, data shows it could cost around $2,300 — up 43% from its current price at $1,599.
We asked Rourk if he'd heard of anything like this in his two decades of experience, and to put it simply, his answer was no. Still, he expresses optimism for not only his business, but the industry.
"I think in the short-term, we'll probably feel it, but hopefully down the road, we'll see some relief," he told us. "Most of our parts come from and are made overseas because of cheap labor, it would be nice to see our citizens have more access to those jobs."
At last check, it's unclear when the Trump Administration plans to announce tariff rates on semiconductors used for chips, along with other imported parts.
