Global PC Shipments Rise 7.4% in Q2 2025 Amid Windows 10 Deadline and Tariff Uncertainty

In Q2 2025, global shipments of desktops, notebooks, and workstations reached 67.6 million units, a 7.4% increase from the previous year, according to Canalys, now part of Omdia. Notebook shipments, including mobile workstations, grew 7% to 53.9 million units, while desktop shipments, including desktop workstations, rose 9% to 13.7 million units. The surge was largely driven by commercial PC deployments ahead of the Windows 10 end-of-support deadline in October 2025. However, consumer demand remained weak due to global macroeconomic uncertainty.

The Trump administration’s shifting tariff policies have introduced significant uncertainty to the PC market. While PCs were exempt from tariffs in Q2, the US has increasingly shifted PC imports from China to Vietnam to mitigate potential tariff risks. A recent US-Vietnam trade deal imposes a 20% tariff on Vietnamese goods and a 40% tariff on transshipped items, raising questions about whether PCs manufactured in Vietnam with Chinese components or through Chinese-controlled operations will face the higher tariff. With enforcement criteria undefined, supply chain diversification may not deliver the anticipated cost stability.

“The Trump administration’s evolving tarif...