Razer and Framework, two US computer companies, have temporarily suspended sales of some models due to President Donald Trump's tariffs.
"Due to the new tariffs effective April 5, we have temporarily suspended sales of some Framework 13 laptops running Ultra 5 125H and Ryzen 5 7640U chips in the US," Framework Computer announced on X on April 8. "These models will be removed from the US website for now. We will continue to provide information as we develop further."
In subsequent posts, Framework said it manufactures its models in Taiwan, which means it faces a 10% import tax when entering the US. When the new tariffs take effect April 9, the company will face a new 32% tax.
In addition to the Framework 13, the San Francisco-based company is also considering postponing sales of several other models in the US, including the latest Framework Laptop 12. The company added that it would re-price the product “if there are no other alternatives.”
Framework Computer was founded in January 2020 by Nirav Patel, who was head of hardware at Oculus before the company was acquired by Meta. The company has raised tens of millions of dollars at a time from several large funds between 2021 and 2024. In addition to PCs and laptops, Framework is now expanding its business to consumer electronics.
Another US company, Razer, has also taken down some of its flagship laptops in the US market, including the Razer Blade 14, Razer Blade 16 and Razer Blade 18 series. The Razer Edge gaming handheld is also no longer available on its website, instead selling only cases and accessories.
Razer did not comment. However, according to PCWorld, the company's move to stop selling could be a delaying tactic to respond to the new reciprocal tariffs that Mr. Trump issued last week.
Razer was founded in 1998 by Min-Liang Tan, and Robert Krakoff, and is based in Irvine, California. The company specializes in products for gamers, including PCs, gaming laptops, tablets, wearables and accessories. Most of the company's products are manufactured in China, where the US imposes a 34% import tax, which has now increased to 104% following retaliation.
Meanwhile, Micron, a maker of memory chips for electronic devices, also announced on April 8 that it would impose a tariff-related surcharge on US customers starting April 9. The company also referred to comments it made on March 21 that it “intends to pass on the cost to customers in areas affected by the tariffs.”
Speaking to Reuters, the CEO of an Asia-based NAND memory module maker said it was taking a similar approach to Micron. “If they don’t want to pay the tariffs, we can’t ship. We can’t be held accountable for the decisions your government makes,” the person said. “With the tariffs, no company is going to be so generous as to say, ‘I’ll take the burden.’”
Previously, Apple, which manufactures most of its devices in China and India, also sought to mitigate the impact of the tariffs by stockpiling products for sale in the US. The Times of India on April 7 quoted a senior Indian official as saying that five flights loaded with iPhones and other Apple products from India and China had arrived in the US "in the last three days of March alone."
Experts predict that iPhone prices could increase by 30-40% if Apple passes on the new tax costs to consumers. According to calculations by analysts at Rosenblatt Securities, the price of the cheapest smartphone currently available, the iPhone 16, could increase from $799 to $1,142, or 43%. Similarly, the most expensive phone, the 1TB iPhone 16 Pro Max, could increase by $700 to $2,300.