NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) – Our coverage on recent sweeping tariffs imposed by the Trump administration turned to how technology prices may be impacted. Apple shares specifically tumbled nearly nine percent Thursday morning, shortly after the market opened.
Western Mass News gathered some mixed reactions from computer technicians and also customers regarding potential price increases on products like iPhone and MacBook.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty in the market right now. We are definitely having a hard time getting certain products, certain MacBook and iPad definitely,” Jackson Howard, a repair technician at Yes Computers told us.
Yes Computers in Northampton is struggling to keep up with the uncertain economy and tariff impositions left and right. Howard tells Western Mass News that those prices will only continue to rise.
“We are expecting prices to rise in the upcoming weeks with all the tariffs and the uncertainty in the market,” he said.
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, almost all iPhones are still manufactured in China. Tyler Dowley, the operations manager at Yes Computers, suggests the same.
“Probably like 90% of it is [from] China,” he claimed.
It may not all be bad news though, Dowley says that Apple may not see a price increase after all.
“We’ve also heard that apple is investing in manufacturing in the United States so that could help keep the cost down as well.”
Still, Dowley and Howard say that if you’re considering making that big tech purchase in the coming months, do so now.
“My advice to people is get the products while you still can and while the tariffs are not impacting pricing too much,” he emphasized.
“I would say, that would be obvious, in my opinion,” Dowley emphasized. “In order to keep staff and maintain their level of business that they are trying to sustain, then I think they would have to increase their prices, so it does translate to the consumer.”
We talked with one shopper who was hoping to buy an apple product in the coming weeks and is not happy with the idea of constantly increasing prices.
“Tariffs being imposed is more than likely a way for Trump and his administration to play with the markets,” customer John Pierce stated.
Dowley and Howard predict that the biggest increase will be on iPads and MacBooks, so again, experts are saying that if you want to buy one, do that as soon as possible, or your wallet will feel the impact.
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