In the New Year, the United States may reimpose GPU import tariffs.

The US now has a temporary exemption in place for graphics cards and GPUs imported from China, but this exemption will end on December 31 of this year. The administration has been silent about the question if import tariff would be reintroduced. If imposed, US consumers will face a 25% import fee on graphics cards beginning on January 1, 2023.

If the US Trade Representative does not reinstate the exceptions, importers will be required to pay a 25% tariff on graphics cards beginning January 1, 2023. Meanwhile, even without tariffs, graphics card prices have every cause to rise in comparison to 2019. The creation of GPUs using TSMC's N5 and 4N (5nm-class) fabrication processes is prohibitively expensive, with a physical implementation of a GPU (including software) costing well over $500 million. Manufacturing GPUs on TSMC's N5 production node is also more expensive (possibly twice as expensive) than on TSMC's N7 or Samsung's 8LPP. Production prices have also risen in recent years as a result of growing Chinese wages and inflation. Finally, transportation is now more expensive in 2019 than it was previously.

It remains to be seen whether the 25% charge will be levied on graphics cards, motherboards, laptop computers, and other items. Even if another exemption is granted, new midrange to high-end GPUs for $200$300 are unlikely to appear anytime soon.