Most e-readers and e-notebooks are made in China, Vietnam, and Taiwan. The US government has imposed tariffs that have prompted many companies to raise their hardware costs. This includes selling products inside the United States, Canada, and most European countries.
Currently, tariffs vary from country to country. Most e-readers are made in China, and the current tariffs only apply for products over $800 each. However, this loophole will disappear on May 2nd, which might prompt many companies to increase prices even further. On the flip side, even if the tariffs were to disappear suddenly overnight, it is likely that once companies raise the prices, they won’t bring them back down again.
China’s finance ministry said on Friday it will impose an additional 34% tariffs on all U.S. goods from April 10 as a countermeasure to the sweeping tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Rakuten Kobo increased the costs of all of its e-readers by $10 after the tariffs were imposed. The company said the price increase was global, affecting sales in virtually every country where it sells its products and all its retail partners.
Pocketbook is a long-standing e-reader brand that does not sell its products directly but relies on third-party distributors and e-commerce platforms like Amazon. Last month, they raised their prices from $10 to $50, depending on the model. Cheaper devices saw only a slight price increase, while their most expensive ones saw a big jump.
Onyx Boox is a brand based in China and sells products in the domestic market and some globally. They sell their e-readers and e-notebooks in their e-commerce store and on Amazon. They increased prices from $10 to $80 per unit late last month. Like Pocketbook, their cheaper ones only saw a slight price bump, while their most expensive ones saw the most significant price increase.
A few companies have not increased their prices yet. However, it remains to be seen if they will soon. The Amazon Kindle is the world’s most popular e-reader, and it has not seen a jump in price in any country where it is sold, including Amazon and third-party retailers. Barnes and Noble is the largest bookseller in the United States and sells its NOOK e-reader in stores and online. It has not seen a price change yet, and it is doubtful it will. Tolino is the most prominent brand catering to the German-speaking market, and they have not changed their price structure.
Remarkable has not changed their prices either. Henrik Gustav Faller, the VP of communications at Remarkable, told me, “reMarkable is reviewing the recent announcement of new US trade tariffs and assessing their potential impact on the company’s operations and financial performance. While the tariffs as they have been set out are likely to have a negative impact, it is too early to say how bilateral trade negotiations will develop, what additional mitigating actions we will take, and the actual financial implications. At reMarkable, we have solid experience handling trade regulations across global markets and designed our supply chain structure for resilience and adaptability. We are leveraging this foundation to navigate the potential impact of these tariffs.”
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.