The Hazleton Area (Pennsylvania) school district wants to buy 3,500 computers before tariffs with China take effect.
The Standard Speaker reports that the district was quoted a price of $269 per computer for Chromebooks already in the United States, and $360 per computer for devices still in China and subject to the tariff.
Kenneth Briggs, the district’s director of technology, says Hazleton Area has received a price quote of $941,500 for the shipment without the tariff, and $1,260,000 for computers subject to the tariff. That's an additional $318,500.
The district has more than 12,000 students. It buys enough computers each year to provide new models to students in grades one, five and nine. Students use the same computer for four years and can take them home during the summer to read e-books and do enrichment activities.
Briggs said he has been accustomed to receiving price quotes that would remain in effect for weeks or months; now vendors won’t guarantee prices past seven days.
“More like 30 minutes,” said Board President Ed Shemansky.
The next day, China raised the tariff on American products to 125%, but the United States exempted computers, smart phones and electronics from the tariff of 145% on Chinese goods.
The Trump administration said it intends to combine computers and other electronics into a separate tariff with semiconductors in a month or two.
