In three weeks, the U.S. will elect a new president, choosing between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Trump has promised to impose broad punitive tariffs on imported goods. What would be the impact of increased US trade protectionism on digital signage?
A re-election of Donald Trump could pose a serious threat to global trade. The Republican candidate expressed strong opposition to imports, especially car imports from Mexico. In a Bloomberg interview in Chicago on Tuesday, he stated, “If I become president, I will impose tariffs of 100, 200, even 2,000 percent. They won’t sell a single car to the United States.” Trump also targeted other trade partners, naming the EU, China, and India as opponents.
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The digital signage industry, which primarily sources its products from Asia (China, ASEAN, and increasingly India), would face additional challenges under a Trump administration. Punitive tariffs could raise the cost of importing displays, LEDs, media players, and similar products. Even displays manufactured in Mexico, within the USMCA agreement, might become more expensive for American digital signage customers.
LED displays made in the EU, which have largely replaced Chinese products in key projects, could also become more expensive due to new punitive tariffs. For now, only software providers can feel some relief, as software and services have not yet been a focus of Donald Trump’s trade policies.
