The Trump administration officially announced reciprocal tariff measures on April 2nd, impacting the panel supply chain. According to TrendForce's Deputy General Manager Fan Boyu (范博毓), while no immediate price impact has been observed in the short term, these tariffs are expected to gradually affect demand and subsequently influence pricing trends.

As April began, concerns regarding weakening TV panel demand grew as brands continued to increase inventory levels, prompting manufacturers to anticipate potential risks. Although they plan to adjust production capacity to stabilize supply-demand conditions, utilization rates have not yet shown noticeable changes. The announcement of reciprocal tariffs has also caused significant disruption within the supply chain; while prices remain unaffected for now, a shift in tariff policy is needed to prevent gradual demand impacts and future price fluctuations.

Overall stability is expected for TV panels during April. Monitor panel pricing continues its upward momentum from March as manufacturers seek improved financial performance through increased demand. However, some brand customers have temporarily paused shipments of finished products following the announcement of reciprocal tariffs; it remains to be seen whether this will affect overall panel demand and price trends.

For monitor panels in April, Open Cell prices are expected to rise by $0.3 USD, while 21.5-inch FHD models are forecasted to increase by $0.2 USD. Similarly, both 23.8-inch and 27-inch FHD models are predicted to see a price hike of $0.3 USD each.

Laptop panel demand has become uncertain due to the reciprocal tariffs; brands have accelerated shipments via air freight before April 9th—the date these measures take effect—potentially leading to reduced overall demand that could impact future laptop panel performance. Panel manufacturers remain cautiously optimistic regarding price trends, awaiting changes in demand. For the month of April, prices across all sizes are expected to stabilize.

According to TrendForce's panel pricing forecast at the beginning of April:
- 65-inch TV panels average $177 USD
- 55 inches average $127 USD
- 43 inches average $66 USD
- and 32 inches average $36 USD.

Monitor panels are priced as follows: a 27-inch panel averages at $62.90 USD, while the 23.8-inch model is priced on average at $49.70 USD.

For laptop panels:
- 17.3 inch models are expected to be around $38.30 USD
- both 15.6 and 14 inches have averages set at $40.30 and $26.90 respectively,
- with the smallest size (an 11.6-inch panel) priced on average at $25.10.

(Lead image source: Shutterstock)