California-based PC case manufacturer Hyte halted its shipments to the United States last week, citing the heavy impact of President Trump’s 145% tariffs, making it financially unfeasible for the company to continue operating in the U.S. market.

Hyte, the sister brand of iBuyPower, counted the US as its number one region, with around 65% of its revenue in America. In an interview with Gamers Nexus on April 23, the company said it is halting some product shipments to focus on the EMEA region. 

In a spreadsheet shared in the GN YouTube documentary, the case maker revealed that its profit margins on its Y40 case were just 5% (or around $5). Any tariff increase meant it would sell at a loss unless it raised prices, which it announced on March 27.

That means relying on its existing US inventory, but what about when that runs out? If Trump nixes the tariffs or Hyte develops a new sourcing strategy, things could be dire.

Hyte’s Product Director, Rob Teller, confirmed the news in a Reddit Ask Me Anything session last week. Speaking of the decision’s impact on US inventory, he said:

“As for our normal library, we will be reducing our SKU count and quantity being brought to the US.”

He added that this could make finding Hyte products in retail stores harder and affect US consumers’ configurations, colors, or models.

Speaking to Steve Burke of Gamers Nexus, Teller said:

“If you tried to buy a product from me today, I could not afford to sell it to you.” Although the company will continue to bring in products with open customer pre-orders, everything else is paused or diverted to other regions.

The difficulty in forecasting what the Trump Administration will do next regarding tariffs is at the heart of the situation, with changes on a near-daily basis.

Companies that do most of their business with the US, like CyberPower, a California-based prebuilt PC manufacturer that relies on the US market for around 80% of its business, will be hit hardest.

PC cases may not face the 145% tariffs, but manufacturers are still being hit with a 20% tariff on Chinese imports and a further 25% tariff on products derived from aluminum. Manufacturers of PC components haven’t been so lucky. 

Components such as liquid coolers, PSUs, and fans are not exempt from the tariffs and face the full 145% charge on imports from China, which were announced on April 10, 2025.

Less than 24 hours later, several OEMs paused laptop shipments to the US, including Lenovo, HP, and Dell, according to Commercial Times. 

It’s also worth noting that video game consoles and accessories aren’t exempt from the tariffs, as these are listed as toys rather than technology under current trade classifications.

Gaming & PC Manufacturers Pause US Shipments

Hyte isn’t alone in its decision to pause US shipments. Gaming controller company 8BitDo also suspended shipments from its Chinese warehouse at the end of April (h/t Polygon).

The company posted a statement on its website explaining that the halt is temporary, with only products from US warehouses available for shipping to the United States.

Chinese retro handheld manufacturer Anbernic also released a statement advising that it was halting US shipments from April 21. 

Nintendo pulled US Switch 2 pre-orders over the tariffs, though these reopened on April 24 at the originally announced $450 price. 
However, in a press release, the company confirmed that accessories for the new console:

“Will experience price adjustments from those announced on April 2 due to changes in market conditions.” It also acknowledged that future price adjustments were possible “depending on market conditions.”

Elsewhere, there were unconfirmed reports that Razr had ceased laptop sales to the US after consumers found themselves unable to purchase laptops on the Razr site at the start of April. 

It seems like the Razer Blade 16 is now available to US customers again, as reported by Notebookcheck — though it’s the only model available in the US.  

Even tech giants like Apple have felt the impact, with reports indicating that the company urged its suppliers to ship premium devices to the U.S. ahead of the April 9 deadline.

Companies obliged to honor customer pre-orders will take a financial hit too, absorbing unexpected tariffs for orders placed before these were introduced. Many companies still shipping to the US have raised their prices, including the Chinese electronics brand Anker. 

According to Reuters, over 120 of the company’s products on Amazon saw an average 18% increase since April 3. Best Buy CEO Corie Bary told consumers to expect higher prices, while China-based e-commerce companies Temu and Shein released statements announcing their price hike plans from April 25.

Why is Trump Implementing Tariffs on Imports?

We’ve seen plenty of online discussions about tariffs and thoughts on the Trump Administration’s goal of bringing manufacturing back to the US. Ultimately, high tariffs will never drive companies back to US production. 

Opening a US factory isn’t viable for most companies, especially small businesses — it’s simply cheaper and more efficient to operate in China or other countries. 

A Redditor on r/hardware pointed out that even if companies did open US factories, the raw materials to make cases and components would also need to be manufactured in the US to avoid tariffs. Right now metals, screws, and glass are all usually imported.

Is This the Death of Affordable Computing?

But what does this all mean for consumers in the US? As Gamer Nexus’ documentary put it succinctly, could it be “the death of affordable computing?” It will almost certainly change the annual upgrade/obsolescence cycle prevalent in the industry.

Image credit: Samsung Memory on Unsplash

While affordable computing (and gaming) may not be completely doomed just yet, the actions taken by PC case and component manufacturers in the coming months are likely to significantly impact stock levels both in retail stores and online. 

This could result in fewer consumer choices and higher prices across the board.

In the long run, if President Trump doesn’t reverse the tariffs, the U.S. could face fewer options for components and cases, rising costs, and limited availability. 

This may mark the end of building your PC at a competitive price, which would seriously blow manufacturers in both the tech and gaming sectors. Ultimately, it could spell the end for U.S. companies, especially smaller brands or those without a presence in other markets.