US tech industry: good mood, but fear of Trump's tariffs
The CTA, the trade association for the US tech industry, expects record sales for 2025, but concerns about Trump's tariffs are dampening the mood.
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Positive figures, but worries about Donald Trump. At CES in Las Vegas, the organizing Consumer Tech Association (CTA) has mixed feelings about the future. Gary Shapiro, CEO of the CTA, actually has every reason to be in a good mood. After 140,000 visitors last year, the CTA is expecting a further increase this year. Participants from 166 countries have announced their attendance. Shapiro predicts that the trade fair will perhaps exceed the pre-corona level in some areas. Whether automotive, audio, video, artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, health and beauty tech or energy generation: the upcoming trends are often seen first in Las Vegas. "The dominant event in the tech world is clearly CES," says Shapiro, sending his regards to the IFA in Berlin.
Trump clouds the mood
However, the joy is not quite so carefree this year, as CES 2025 also marks the first major gathering of the tech industry following the election of Donald Trump as the next US president. While Big Tech is already busy chumming up the future president, Shapiro, whose association represents the interests of more than 1,000 North American tech companies, including many smaller ones, is taking a critical stance. "We're worried," says the influential tech lobbyist. He does not share Trump's love of tariffs. "We are in favor of a free market," says Shapiro and admits with regard to Trump: "We don't know what will happen."
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The CTA is forecasting record retail sales of 537 billion US dollars for the US tech industry in 2025. However, growth is threatened by the tariffs announced by Trump. The tariffs could cause US citizens to lose between 90 and 143 billion dollars in purchasing power, warns the CTA. "The technology sector is America's economic engine. Our forecast is based on the strength of the industry," says Shapiro. But tariffs are poison for American companies and consumers. In contrast, Shapiro is positive about Trump's announcement that he wants to dismantle market regulations.
However, the CTA is also likely to take a different view to Trump in another area. In its forecast, it identified the transition of the energy sector away from fossil fuels towards renewable energies as one of the key challenges. Trump, meanwhile, wants to appoint a fracking fluid-drinking oil executive as Secretary of Energy.
Heise Medien is the official media partner of CES 2025.
(rbr)
