More technology giants are coming out against the latest round of tariffs against Chinese goods proposed by President Donald Trump and his administration. Apple has filed a public comment, and there's also a joint comment between Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony Interactive Entertainment.
In the console makers' joint letter, it specifies that 96% of video game consoles imported to the United States in 2018 were from China and suggest that moving supply chains would increase costs, above and beyond inflated prices from tariffs.
"A change in even a single supplier must be vetted carefully to mitigate risks of product quality, unreliability and consumer safety issues," the letter reads. Tariffs would significantly disrupt our companies’ businesses and add significant costs that would depress sales of video game consoles and the games and services that drive the profitability of this market segment."
The letter also argues that a lack of new consoles sold would hurt developers by selling fewer games.
Apple's letter argues that he proposed tariffs would affect all of the company's hardware, including the Mac, iPad, iPhone, AirPods, Apple TV and the parts within them. It's less detailed than the joint letter opposing the tariffs on laptops and tablets from Microsoft, Intel, Dell and HP, but makes one major argument that is similar: Chinese producers don't sell as much in the U.S., so those companies won't suffer in the same way from the tariffs as American electronics manufacturers.
Additionally, Apple highlighted its role as "the largest corporate taxpayer to the U.S. Treasury" and suggested that the impacts could affect its economic contributions to the country.
