The era of cheap 3D printing appears to be coming to a screeching halt in the US. A perfect storm of newly imposed tariffs is quickly driving costs upward as tariffs on Chinese-made goods, which include popular 3D printers from Bambu Lab, Creality, Elegoo, and Anycubic, have hit a record high of 145%.
Bambu Lab’s newest printer, the H2D, was launched on March 25 with a starting price tag of $1,899 for the two-color, non-laser unit. It’s now listed at $2,399, a 23% increase, while the 40-watt laser unit we reviewed last month will now set you back a whopping $4,399. This is $500 to $900 more than its intended price — a 20% increase.
Tracking the rising cost of 3D printers is a difficult task. Some Chinese manufacturers have not raised their prices, but their goods are also not in stock, making availability another issue 3D printer hobbyists and business owners are dealing with. Notable in this category is the Elegoo Centauri Carbon, which is still listed at its debut price of $299. But it is also listed as a “pre-order” that will only become available in late July.
The Creality K2 Plus Combo, which we reviewed in January, is still holding its original price tag of $1,499, and is listed as shipping from a U.S. warehouse. Tariffs are only applied to items at the time of shipping. While no one wanted to be named, several company representatives at this year's Rapid + TCT event told me they had rushed shipments to U.S. warehouses before the tariffs took effect and are hoping to hold prices down for as long as possible.
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