(April 9): PC shipments grew at their fastest quarterly pace since the pandemic after companies from Apple Inc to Dell Technologies Inc hastened product deliveries around the world before tariffs hit.

Laptops led the way as the entire spectrum of desktops, workstations and portable computers rose 9.4% to 62.7 million units in the first quarter, according to market tracker Canalys. It was the fastest increase for the industry since the spring of 2021, when Covid restrictions were driving demand for electronics to work and play at home. The surge was especially pronounced with respect to the US, but the researchers warned that end-user demand is largely stable and the current quarter will take a hit.

“As the next round of higher tariffs on more countries goes into effect, both direct and indirect impacts threaten global PC market recovery and Windows 10 End of Support induced momentum,” they said. Subsequent quarters this year are likely to see a slowdown as inventory levels normalise and customers face higher prices.”

Chinese PC maker Lenovo Group Ltd’s shares ended Wednesday largely unchanged in Hong Kong, while tech shares rose.

US consumers flocked this week to Apple stores to grab an iPhone ahead of any potential price hikes in response to the tariffs that just went into effect. Those include a 104% levy on goods shipped from China to the US, capturing much of iPhone production as well as countless laptop models from the likes of Lenovo, Dell and HP Inc. Efforts to diversify manufacturing away from China are underway among these companies, but alternative locations such as Vietnam also now confront duties as high as 46% on products headed to the US.

“Although these major manufacturing countries have been targeted with tariffs, their rates remain relatively competitive compared to China’s,” Canalys analyst Ben Yeh said. “These countries have shown a willingness to negotiate, raising the possibility that the tariffs may eventually be reduced or waived, while China has responded swiftly with a new round of reciprocal tariffs.”

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