In the first quarter, the overall PC shipment volume, including laptops and desktops, rose to its highest level in four years.
According to market research firm Canalys on the 9th (local time), global PC shipments from January to March this year reached 62.7 million units, a 9.4% increase compared to the same period last year. This marks the largest increase since the first quarter of 2021, when demand for electronics for work and leisure at home surged during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Data from IDC Research also indicates an approximately 5% increase in shipments compared to the previous year.
The significant increase in PC shipments is believed to be due to the expected impact of tariffs that President Donald Trump had announced for major trading partners.
This is because PC manufacturers hurried their product deliveries in anticipation of price increases before the tariffs were imposed.
In the United States, a surge in shipments was particularly notable. Tariffs will be imposed on imported products coming into the U.S. Canalys analyzed that "the market is showing some preemptive responses from both vendors and end-users in anticipation of the tariffs in the first quarter."
Laptop shipments increased by 10% during this period, reaching 49 million units, while desktop shipments rose by 8%. Apple's shipments increased 14% year-on-year in the first quarter, and Asus saw an 11% increase. The top two PC manufacturers, Lenovo and HP, also saw increases of 11% and 6%, respectively.
However, while PC shipments surged in the first quarter and price increases are expected due to tariffs, shipments are anticipated to take a hit after the second quarter.
Canalys noted that "end-user demand is generally stable, and high tariffs could threaten the recovery of the global PC market," adding, "As inventory levels normalize and customers feel burdened by high prices, growth could slow in the second half of this year."
On this day, President Donald Trump imposed high reciprocal tariffs on major trading partners but announced a 90-day grace period for countries excluding China.