As the Trump tariffs continue to take effect—and then are delayed or reimplemented almost as quickly—some laptop makers are pausing shipments of their latest devices to the United States for at least two weeks, as they wait for more clarity.
The delayed shipments were first reported on April 9 by the Chinese-language financial newspaper Commercial Times, which detailed how HP, Dell, Lenovo, and other brands have “officially notified the supply chain that all products [including … related consumer electronic components] sold to the United States from all production places will be suspended for two weeks.”
The impact will be hard-hitting, the report continued. “Industry insiders said that the revenue of consumer electronics companies in April is likely to be bleak, with the first wave of hard-hit areas concentrated on … [laptop], mobile phone and network communication suppliers.” The report came as the latest reciprocal tariffs took effect at midnight Eastern Time on April 9.
For MSPs, the report’s implications are being described as unclear at best, say several IT analysts who spoke with ChannelE2E. In recent weeks, Trump-era tariffs have been announced, delayed, or reversed—adding to the uncertainty rippling through the global marketplace.
Trump Tariffs Bringing Uncertainty for MSPs and Hardware Sales
“Clearly any new hardware planning is largely pointless with the on and off tariff tactics which makes any planning for the future pointless,” Rob Enderle, principal analyst for Enderle Group, told ChannelE2E. “However, switching to product upgrades, refurbishment programs, and reuse can provide clients with alternatives that can avoid the tariff costs. But finding secure and reliable suppliers is problematic, however, those like HP that are aggressively working on massive refurbishment programs should be far more helpful during these times.”
Taking steps like these—where MSPs have more control over an unstable situation—can be helpful, he said. “The industry is in a bit of a panic. While tech can move far faster than industries like automotive, still they are not fast enough for rules and conditions that appear to change weekly or faster.”
Noah Dantes, research analyst with Canalys, now part of Omdia, told ChannelE2E that so far, the Trump administration’s tariffs have largely served as short-term threats to negotiate deals with other countries. “If the past few months suggest anything, it is that the current level of tariffs will not stay the same,” he said.
“This makes long-term planning by any business, MSP or otherwise, very difficult. Across the industry, companies are choosing to wait and see. By the time any business has developed a specific country-level plan for the tariff impacting that country, the tariff in question could be gone, reduced, or even increased. This is freezing new business, and customers and partners alike are reluctant to enter long-term contracts due to price fluctuations," Dantes emphasizes.
And some of the tariffs, particularly the ones against China and Taiwan, could very well put some companies out of business entirely, he says.
“Business is particularly tricky for public sector partners,” Dantes says. “Any new business this year is going to come from deals surrounding AI and automation projects. Across departments like FedRAMP and CISA, the government is increasingly turning towards automation to fill in the gaps left by layoffs and budget cuts. It is partners that will be asked to figure out the integrations and explain to an overstrained agency how to use the tool.”
The related federal government workforce cuts by the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are providing more pressures on MSPs, said Dantes.
Dantes explains that DOGE has made it clear that they want to insource a lot of the continued services in the future, but this is simply not possible to do given the widespread budget cuts and layoffs. “Eventually, the government will realize that a public-private partnership is not inefficient, and that it is fundamentally necessary. When that time comes, service providers and MSPs will see a resurgence. The real uncertainty, and risk, for services partners is how long the current market turbulence will last,” Dantes says.
Unstable Times for MSPs
Another analyst, Shelly Kramer, founder and principal analyst of Kramer&Co., told ChannelE2E that “living through these tariff times feels a bit like trying to live on the wing of a boomerang – there are few businesses not impacted.”
For MSPs and other tech vendors who supply laptops and other hardware, it is an unstable time, she said. “I think the attitude right now is to hurry up and buy before the tariff impacts hit,” Kramer says. “So MSPs could see a bit of a boost in device/hardware sales near term, as people prepare to dig in longer term. The biggest challenge for the market is dealing with uncertainty. When consumer confidence wanes, a natural result is to pull back on expenditures. Risk is great; what is around the corner is unknown, and this is having a very real impact on businesses.”
Another analyst, Zeus Kerravala, principal analyst of ZK Research, also highlighted that for MSPs, the biggest challenge is the constantly changing tariffs that make it difficult for them to plan. “If the tariffs are going to be enforced, customers may push up projects to avoid the tariffs, meaning that MSPs should also buy ahead of them to ensure they have the inventory,” said Kerravala. “If Trump administration then flip-flops, customers may then push out the projects, which then requires the MSP to hold the equipment or cancel their own orders.”
This creates a significant burden for MSPs, he said. “I spoke with one provider that built contingency plans around the tariffs—and then had to create backup plans for those plans. It quickly becomes overly complex. Plus, with the short lifecycle of PCs and tablets, stockpiling isn’t always practical.”
For MSPs looking to take proactive steps, Kerravala advised open communication with clients. “The most effective thing right now is to stay closely aligned with customers’ plans and remain flexible. While these policy shifts are painful, being transparent and collaborative will build trust—even if it means taking a short-term revenue hit.”
Bob Laliberte, principal analyst with theCUBE Research, also notes that the tariffs on electronics and more “will certainly increase costs for organizations looking to refresh their PCs.” In response, he anticipates that businesses will rush to purchase existing inventory before tariffs take effect or, as seen during the pandemic, seek out alternative suppliers outside of China. “A great example of this is Apple shipping iPhones from India,” he cites.
This shift will likely place additional demands on already stretched MSPs, who may need to assist clients in sourcing new suppliers with fewer tariff implications. It could also require monitoring manufacturers relocating operations to the U.S., though that transition will take time. “It will likely be a turbulent time for some time”, he adds.
Laliberte also warns that the situation could remain volatile for a while. “Given the current dynamics and that tariffs can change rapidly, many organizations may decide to hold off on significant capital expenditures until there is greater clarity on which countries will have a long term impact from tariffs,” stresses Laliberte. “I expect that many organizations may want to wait to see what the negotiations yield over the next 90 days. Ultimately organizations will have to balance the risk of waiting against the increased cost of the laptop or other IT device. MSPs need to ensure open and clear communication with their customers regarding availability and pricing so they can make the best decisions for their organization.”
