Despite jumping 9% in Q1 2025, global PC shipments might reportedly see their momentum stalled by looming tariffs and rising costs, as vendors rush to dodge trade disruptions.
Global PC shipments rose 9.4% year-on-year (YoY) in Q1 2025 to reach 62.7 million units, according to Canalys, now part of Omdia. The growth was primarily driven by vendors accelerating deliveries to the US ahead of new tariff measures.
Notebook shipments climbed 10% to 49.4 million units, while desktop shipments rose 8% to 13.3 million units.
Brand wise, Lenovo retained the top spot, shipping 15.2 million units and increasing its market share to 24.2% with a growth of 10.7%. HP followed with 12.8 million units, up 6.1% from Q1 2024.
Dell posted modest YoY growth of 3% with 9.5 million units. On the other hand, Apple saw the YoY increase of 22.1%, reaching 6.5 million units and 10.4% market share. Asus shipped 4 million units, growing 8.8%.
The report attributed the Q1 boost to proactive stockpiling by original equipment manufacturer (OEMs) anticipating the Trump administration’s initial tariff announcements.
Lenovo and HP increased US-bound shipments by around 20% and 13% respectively. However, further growth may slow as higher tariffs on a wider group of countries take effect from April.
Analysts predict that the consumer sector may feel a more substantial impact from price hikes, potentially leading to delayed purchases. Small and medium-sized businesses could also hesitate in upgrading systems ahead of the October 2025 Windows 10 End-of-Support deadline.
A Canalys poll showed 14% of SMB partners reported clients unaware of the deadline, with 21% having no upgrade plans.
To reduce tariff exposure, manufacturers are shifting production from China to countries like Vietnam, Thailand, and India. HP expects 90% of its US shipments to be produced outside China by year-end. While these alternative regions also face tariffs, they remain comparatively favourable, and ongoing negotiations could ease some trade pressures.
