CTA: Tech Revenue Jumps, But Tariffs Could Kneecap Sales

The Consumer Technology Association has released its year-end sales figures, and wants to point out some technology categories -- more than $15 billion worth -- that are going gangbusters but are either under threat from President Trump's tariffs or already subject to them in his first round of levies.

For example, "wearables" revenue was $6.4 billion, up 10% year-over-year, while smart home devices were up 36% to $4.6 billion, according to the CTA's report. Smart speakers revenue is up 64% to $3.2 billion, wireless earbud revenue is up 41% to $1.1 billion, and home WiFi equipment is up a whopping 103% to $1 billion.

Related | broadcastingcable.com: Tech Groups Balk at ITC Tariffs

The Trump Administration is levying tariffs on Chinese technology, among other products, in an effort to force China to remove tariffs on U.S. goods.

The CTA opposes the move. It told the U.S. Trade Representative that trade wars have no winners, saying tech tariffs would put consumers "at risk" of price increases, disproportionately "fall" on the poor and elderly, "harm" industries the president is trying to protect, and "destroy" jobs.

Related: CTA Tells USTR Trade War Has No Winners

Among the items affected by tariffs are antennas, integrated circuits, diodes, connectors for optical fibers, switches, amplifiers and conductors.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.