Computer & Office Equipment Distributors NAICS 423420, 423430

Feb 22, 2026 - Trump Administration's Tariffs Struck Down By US Supreme Court

• The US Supreme Court ruled in late February 2026 that President Trump exceeded his authority when imposing tariffs using a law reserved for a national emergency. The decision only invalidates tariffs implemented using a 1977 law called the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). IEEPA tariffs represent about half of the import taxes that the government is collecting each month, according to National Public Radio. Computer and office equipment distributors are likely to benefit if the cost of goods imported from countries that were hit with tariffs decreases. The Trump administration can use other laws to impose duties on goods from other countries, however, and President Trump issued an executive order shortly after the Supreme Court ruling that implements a new tariff under Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act. Section 122 allows the president to institute a "temporary import surcharge" of up to 15% if he finds there are "large and serious United States balance of-payments deficits" or to "prevent an imminent and significant depreciation of the [US] dollar in foreign exchange markets." The tariffs can last for up to 150 days, after which Congress may have to take action to extend them, according to NBC News, and the law is also not clear on whether the administration could restart the tariffs immediately after the 150 days with another executive order. The new tariff will result in a major decrease to tariffs applied to most key trading partners, according to NBC News. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said, however that the administration would also open Section 301 investigations on "most major trading partners" on an "accelerated timeframe." The investigations could allow the administration to impose tariffs under that section of the 1974 law if it finds that "the rights of the US are being denied under any trade agreement," or whether any trade agreement is "unjustifiable and burdens or restricts United States commerce." Other approaches to tariffs also remain available: The Trump administration has already used Section 232 of the 1962 Trade Expansion Act to impose tariffs on goods determined to be a national security threat. Section 232 has been applied it to goods ranging from aluminum to bathroom vanities, according to Business Insider.
• Some electronics products imported to the US have been exempted from President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs, according to US Customs and Border Protection. Profit margins of computer facilities management services may be compressed if tariffs are applied to these products in the future. The exemption, which comes after the Trump administration imposed a minimum tariff rate of 145% on Chinese goods imported to the US, does not include the 20% tariff on Chinese goods for the country’s alleged role in the fentanyl trade. Smartphones, computer monitors, and various electronic parts are among the exempted products. The exemption applies to products entering the US or removed from warehouses as early as April 5.

• Workplace occupancy, an indicator of demand for office equipment, was 55.8% for the seven-day period ending on September 10, up from 51.4% for the seven-day period ending on September 3, according to data gathered from swipes of access control cards in buildings with security systems provided by Kastle Systems. Occupancy has struggled to remain above the 50% mark since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic despite attempts by many organizations to bring employees back. The Austin, TX, metropolitan area had the highest occupancy for the seven-day period ending on September 10 at 69.8%. The San Francisco, CA, metropolitan area trailed all others tracked at 42.6%.
• Computer and office equipment distributor industry employment decreased slightly and average wages for nonsupervisory employees increased significantly during the first eight months of 2025, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Computer and office equipment industry sales are forecast to grow at a 3.2% compounded annual rate from 2024 to 2028, slower than the growth of the overall economy, according to Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc. Professional and commercial equipment distributor inventories remain significantly above pre-pandemic levels.