Thursday, February 6th 2025

ASRock to Move Manufacturing Out of China Due to Trump's Tariffs

ASRock told PCMag it plans to move some of its production out of China. "We need time to shift the manufacturing of GPU cards and other products hit by the 10% tariff to different countries," they said. This week, the White House put a 10% tax on all Chinese imports to the US, this tax applies on top of any other taxes the US already had on certain Chinese goods. ASRock also said, "While we move from making things in China to making them elsewhere, we might take on some of the cost and raise prices a bit to show the higher costs." But they added, "It's not easy to raise prices because the market is still very competitive." ASRock also told PCMag that it already pays a 25% tax on its power supplies made in China. "For items like PSUs that already have an extra 25% tax, makers will keep doing what they've been doing," the company said.

If Trump administration doesn't follow through with his threats of huge tariffs against Taiwan, the PC gaming industry will primarily feel the effects on companies like ASRock and MSI (which makes its motherboards in Shenzhen, China). These are the component and peripheral makers that have part or all of their manufacturing processes in China. ASRock's announcement isn't a huge surprise, as we saw hints of this trend in late 2024 when PC Partner (second-biggest graphics card maker, producing PCBs for brands such as Inno3D and Zotac) moved its headquarters from China to Singapore. It will be no surprise if other top-tier brands such as GIGABYTE, MSI, and ASUS take similar actions sooner or later.
Source: PCMag
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54 Comments on ASRock to Move Manufacturing Out of China Due to Trump's Tariffs

#26
Bones
A Computer GuyWhen the status quo won't do you have to push and shove and see where the chips fall. Trading partners are not your friends and they won't give you anything for free.
When it comes down to it this is true.

Sometimes you have to "test" your trading partners to see what they'll do so you'll know what to do yourself and to keep them honest.
It's not like it's never been done before or ever would be done again, happens all the time because business is business and takes care of itself when it comes down to it.

Like it or not they are in it for themselves just like anyone else out there so we have to be too - That's just the sad fact of it.
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#27
Gunbound
my asrock mb is already made in vietnam :)
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#28
Vincero
Gunboundmy asrock mb is already made in vietnam :)
I was gonna say - Vietnam are a prime location to shift to.... they have been quietly amassing a large manufacturing base - supposedly China hasn't been the cheapest place to get stuff manufactured for a while in some cases.
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#29
R0H1T
TheinsanegamerNThis instability was inevitable, it's been allowed to percolate since the 70s when we collectively decided to stop investing in our best and brightest and rely on mass immigration to fill our needs, until that became unsustainable too. Eventually you have to either rip the bandaid off and start rebuilding the industries and knowledge bases you outsourced to save pennies 50 years ago, or accept downgrading your economy, culture, and society to 2nd then 3rd world tier while giving up your influence on a global scale.
It's not a 70's thing, it's been happening since forever & no immigration ain't it either! Why do big corporations pay less(?) tax than some individuals, also why capital gains tax is less than income tax :wtf:

Yeah that's BS, without outsourcing your pollution, your "poverty" or indeed your employment you'd never have two or three $3 trillion corporations ~ who as you've only now realized don't give an eff about their own citizens either! What the US & most other countries around the world are doing is investing more & more in "assets" & less in real economy, which basically means you're looking to maximise wealth not employment or actual quality of life :ohwell:

This is the case at an individual/corporate & national(govt) level ~ blame it on greed or whatever but that's how I see it. And we'll need to go back to the dreaded "S" word if we need to fix some of this. I'm not even touching the wars or "proxy wars" US started just in the last century!
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#30
Dyatlov A
Most we love it and we excuse for this good administration this little inconvenience ;)
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#31
watzupken
In my opinion, it does not matter where you move your operations. If it is not onshore to US, there is always a possibility that tariffs are not that far off. Regardless, prices will increase. Just hope that it will help with create more jobs in US in the mid to long term.
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#32
Bwaze
The funny thing is, we’ll be seeing these “company X is moving production out of China”, and when you google them, they were already “moving production out of China” back in 2019, during previous Stable Genius stabs at world economy.
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#33
usiname
watzupkenIn my opinion, it does not matter where you move your operations. If it is not onshore to US, there is always a possibility that tariffs are not that far off. Regardless, prices will increase. Just hope that it will help with create more jobs in US in the mid to long term.
And when you move your production to US, you become threat for the national security and your company is privatized like tiktok
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#34
DirtyDingusMcgee
All of southeast asia could benefit from this in the long run. I work with guys in the Philippines and Singapore regularly, and the tech world is going strong out there in the pacific.
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#35
R0H1T
A Computer GuyApplying tariffs is a primarily a political tool that happens to have a revenue component. This is all about changing the status quo in trade relations in my opinion.
In theory I'm in favor of tariffs because it can help to subsidize some of your ailing industries who're in direct competition with say China, or any other nation, who directly/indirectly subsidize their exports! The problem comes when you don't tax your wealthiest tax dodgers whether it be individuals or any other private/public company. Then you've already given them so many tax breaks, so what's the point of this ruse? Tariffs IMO as a means to temper consumption is a good thing o_O
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#36
Why_Me
RuruFunny how I don't even know what tariffs are. Guess it's time to do some research.
Finland sounds pretty laid back. Snow, vodka and a sauna. :cool:
DirtyDingusMcgeeAll of southeast asia could benefit from this in the long run. I work with guys in the Philippines and Singapore regularly, and the tech world is going strong out there in the pacific.
There was a Vietnamese guy who started a build thread on another site last year and I asked him to post some links so I could put together a build. I was expecting crap overpriced sites such as Ireland has for example and the sites he posted blew away Newegg in regards to prices. I was like 'wtf'.
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#37
sepheronx
The Philippines would be a strong candidate since they produce a shit ton of computer engineers. Heck, at one point Toshiba and many others manufactured or fabricated parts in Philippines. Many engineers from there work(ed) in Taiwan at many of the major companies.
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#38
TechLurker
Lots of tech is moving out of China and into to Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Philippines, and heck, even Japan (despite being more costly in some cases), depending on the type of tech and the incentives and cost benefits. Heck, it's more likely tech would migrate to Mexico before the US for the same reason Mexico has become a popular country to move factories to; close enough to the US for distribution, but cheaper labor than in the US.
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#39
Pumper
In before trump tariffs whatever country they are moving to.
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#40
Bwaze
But a lot of these "moving manufacturing" are just companies setting up additional facilities where they perform a simple step or two and add a sticker, majority of production still remains in China.

That's why you will read about companies that have "moved production out of China" in 2019 again now - when the tarrifs disappear, that extra step becomes an unnecessary expense and is abandoned.
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#41
kondamin
TheinsanegamerN. You have tens of millions of underemployed people in country, TRAIN. THEM. TO. DO. THE. JOB! It's not that hard, you gotta INVEST in your employee base, just like they do everywhere outside the US..
so you get a good education and are a great engineer.
you get the option to work in a field where you can ear a good living doing tech.
or you can go make an absolute fortune in finance with your skills
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#42
bobsled
MxPhenom 216I could list so many things but this a tech forum.

Mind you, some retailers are already increasing prices above original pricing, siting tariffs.
Retailers will do that because distys also do it, ie, price gouging.

Perhaps if you like everything made in China you could live there? Or we could delete your job because it’s easier to just import everything.
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#43
_roman_
I wonder if mainboard and graphic card prices will go up for ASROCK.

Made in USA ASROCK Logo with USA FLAG on the packaging? Maybe a subcompany?
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#44
Assimilator
TheinsanegamerNIt's like people have completely forgotten how influential america was in the semiconductor race and the can do attitude that built the most incredible industrial powerhouse until china showed up. Now its all "oh well you cant do that because these reasons and you cant just train people you cant just build there what about a goose species we have to import 10 million people and raise taxes instead we just cant do anything about it" runaway defeatism.
That happened before the megacorporations and the billionaires took over. Given the latter are now in charge, I don't understand why you'd expect anything to change positively.
ScircuraPlease don't abuse phrases like "it is a well known fact" for things that are not facts. US universities draw many international students (edit: maybe not for long), so I would argue the "brain drain" is actually flowing in the US's favor.
The problem is not the universities, it's the foundational schooling; more than half of Americans over age 16 are only able to read at the level of a 6th-grader. US universities are being propped up by international students because there aren't enough American students to fill them, and that's a massive warning sign that has long been ignored.
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#45
Vayra86
LabRat 891I'd personally be pleased to see either.
From what little I've gathered in the past 5-8 years or so, Vietnamese 'manufacturing' is nothing at all like the picture us Americans got in the 90s-00s.
Needless to say, I don't think "a child sweatshop worker made this" when I see "Made in Vietnam" on something.


We'll see.
I feel that Taiwan is extremely likely to 'play ball' (as the Sheinbaum and Trudeau admins did).
Especially, with TSMC screaming in the Taiwanese administration's ear :laugh:
No ball was played man, its all a facade. Canada and Mexico took measures they were already taking, for the most part. Its one big show so Trump can tell the world he's the big guy.
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#46
Assimilator
Vayra86No ball was played man, its all a facade. Canada and Mexico took measures they were already taking, for the most part. Its one big show so Trump can tell the world he's the big guy.
It's not about that, though. It's about public perception and diplomatic relationships, things that take years to build and seconds to destroy.
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#47
Vayra86
AssimilatorIt's not about that, though. It's about public perception and diplomatic relationships, things that take years to build and seconds to destroy. All the destroying Trump is doing right now is playing straight into his master Putin's hands.
We'll see. I think we should just lay back and let the fool do his destroying. The little Gaza move is already backfiring nicely. The man's the laughing stock of the world rn.
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#48
TheLostSwede
News Editor
HairyLobstersMoving to Taiwan?
The higher-end ones are made in Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Been there twice I believe. It's out in the sticks. Been to MSI's factory outside Shanghai as well.
Old video, but the most recent one I could find.


As for ASRock, from what I was told, it seems to be Vietnam, at least for now, as they've been making their lower-end boards there for a few years already.
WirkoSo the final assembly, testing and box printing will take place somewhere else? That's how a tech product earns a "Made in Nonchina" badge?
No, not motherboards or graphics cards.
See the video above and you'll understand why.
VinceroI was gonna say - Vietnam are a prime location to shift to.... they have been quietly amassing a large manufacturing base - supposedly China hasn't been the cheapest place to get stuff manufactured for a while in some cases.
xina hasn't been cheap for close to a decade, but it's hard to move a factory, as it's not just about machine, but you need trained people to do the board assembly bits that aren't automated and a lot of it can't be automated. Then you need to have good QA people during the whole process so you don't end up with duds at the testing phase, as that's a waste of time and money. So even though making motherboards is a lot more automated today compared to just 10 years ago, it's still a lot of manual steps involved and some of those aren't taught in five minutes or even five months.
sepheronxThe Philippines would be a strong candidate since they produce a shit ton of computer engineers. Heck, at one point Toshiba and many others manufactured or fabricated parts in Philippines. Many engineers from there work(ed) in Taiwan at many of the major companies.
Unfortunately they don't have the infrastructure when it comes to the component suppliers, so most Filipinos end up in the factories in Taiwan instead.
Last time I was at the Gigabyte factory, at least half of of the staff were Filipinos.
The business relationships with the Philippines haven't been the best either, as there have been a bunch of issues between Taiwan and the Philippines over the years, some involving how badly Filipinos have been treated in Taiwan, both in the manufacturing industry, but also as carers and maybe even worse, in the fishing and shipping industry. Somehow the Taiwanese feel like they can treat SE Asians like garbage and get away with it, which has caused a lot of issues with other countries too.
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#49
Jtuck9
TheLostSwedeThe higher-end ones are made in Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Been there twice I believe. It's out in the sticks. Been to MSI's factory outside Shanghai as well.
If they can find training camps in the desert maybe some sleuths can figure out where this promotional material was filmed

www.techpowerup.com/331170/msi-shows-behind-the-scenes-look-at-motherboard-manufacturing-process

I believe Mystery Ranch still make their higher end gear in America but a lot of their production went to Vietnam.
Posted on Reply
#50
TheLostSwede
News Editor
DirtyDingusMcgeeAll of southeast asia could benefit from this in the long run. I work with guys in the Philippines and Singapore regularly, and the tech world is going strong out there in the pacific.
Singapore used to be a lot stronger than they are today, but unfortunately it's a semi-dictatorship that is very pro xina.
See above about the Philippines.
Jtuck9If they can find training camps in the desert maybe some sleuths can figure out where this promotional material was filmed

www.techpowerup.com/331170/msi-shows-behind-the-scenes-look-at-motherboard-manufacturing-process

I believe Mystery Ranch still make their higher end gear in America but a lot of their production went to Vietnam.
It seems to be their Shenzhen factory. I've been to the Kunshan one, but that was over a decade ago.
www.msi.com/page/odm_service
Vayra86We'll see. I think we should just lay back and let the fool do his destroying. The little Gaza move is already backfiring nicely. The man's the laughing stock of the world rn.
He was given a nice memento...
www.bbc.com/news/videos/cg7zp1dgmxmo
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