Local prices of smartphones and IT products are not expected to be affected by the new US import tariffs in the short term as the majority of these products are made in Asia, say retailers.
However, prices may increase for new production batches in the fourth quarter.
Dusit Sukumvitaya, chief executive of Jaymart Mobile Ltd, said the company does not predict any impact on smartphone prices in the second or third quarters.
However, if raw material costs increase, prices may rise in the fourth quarter, he said.
Consumer purchasing power could weaken based on US import tariffs, causing a broader effect on the local economy, said Mr Dusit.
However, US President Donald Trump recently announced a three-month pause on reciprocal tariffs, meaning exporters still have not felt the effect, he said.
In the first quarter, consumers who use financial methods (for non-credit card users) to purchase smartphones accounted for 40% of total sales. The most popular smartphone models are those priced from 12,000 baht.
The weaker baht is also another factor affecting product prices but the baht has already rebounded and is stable, said Mr Dusit.
Sura Khanittaweekul, chief executive of Com7 Plc, said there is no impact on IT products prices as most of these products are shipped from China.
The company expects that phase 3 of the digital wallet scheme will stimulate spending of teens on IT products as they are core customers of the company.
Sutida Mongkolsuthree, chief executive of Synnex (Thailand) Plc, said there is no impact from the US tariffs as most of its IT products come from Japan, China and Taiwan as the company has a diversified portfolio.
She said the company will wait to see the impact of the tariffs on Apple products, but it might be an opportunity for inbound travellers, especially those from the US and China, to purchase iPhones at lower prices in Thailand.
Sheng Win Chow, a smartphone analyst at research firm Canalys, said a weaker US dollar driven by trade tensions may give Apple room to raise the price of its upcoming iPhone 17, both in the US and Southeast Asia.
Rising import costs in its home market increase the likelihood of upward adjustments. In contrast, a stronger dollar would constrain Apple's ability to raise prices globally without impacting demand.
