Consumers' appetite for big-ticket spending on PCs faces a number of downside risks. Although PCs currently remain exempt, broader tariffs impacting key spending categories have already resulted in inflationary pressure, with the Federal Reserve pausing its planned interest rate cuts in anticipation of further price rises in the remainder of the year.
"In the US, the PC market experienced a surge in shipments as vendors increased inventory in anticipation of tariff announcements, resulting in 12.6% year-over-year growth," Gartner research principal Rishi Padhi said.