Will Trump tariffs affect the cost of cameras? We asked the biggest camera brands – and the answer is concerning

Aluminum, lumber, electricity and pharmaceuticals are just part of the list of industries affected by recent tariffs changes by US President Donald Trump, and the retaliatory tariffs announced by the targeted countries. But, is the cost of cameras and lenses going to end up on that list?

I asked seven major camera brands to weigh in on the trade war and, while none said that costs would increase for certain, few were able to give any sort of answer either way, as the status of the trade war seems to change on a daily – and sometimes even hourly – basis.

Many of the brands that I reached out to declined to comment. What I gleaned from the few that did respond is that photographers shouldn’t go out and panic buy cameras and lenses like The Great Toilet Paper Horde of COVID-19.

But, with tariffs seemingly to change nearly daily, there’s some uncertainty in the market as to whether or not prices in the United States will increase as a result. That could be a concern for photographers in the US. Retailers, such as Best Buy, for example, have warned that tariffs could cause price jumps.

Here’s what the major camera brands had to say about the ongoing trade war what photographers should know about where cameras are made and how that affects pricing.

Where are cameras made and are those areas affected by the proposed tariffs?

While many of the new tariffs seem directed specifically at China, Canada and Mexico, others are directed toward all imports to the US, such as the aluminum and steel tariff that applies to all countries that send the materials to the states. While the aluminum and steel tariff is already in effect, the tariffs for goods from Canada, Mexico and China as well as automobiles have been delayed until April 02.

A majority of the key camera brands, including Canon, Nikon and Fujifilm, have headquarters in Japan. For example, Canon has manufacturing plants in Japan and Taiwan; its China-based plant for compact cameras closed in 2022.

But while Japan could easily be considered the camera capital of the world, some more affordable cameras are made in China. Many third-party lens manufacturers are also based in China. The drone giant DJI, which is also the parent of Hasselblad, is based in China.

Looking at President Trump's first term (January 20 2017 - January 20 2021) could also hint towards the impact of the proposed tariffs in the non-consecutive second term. For example, in 2019, the US-based GoPro announced plans to move manufacturing for US-bound cameras from China to Mexico due to possible tariffs.

Tamron began moving much of its manufacturing from China to Taiwan during Trump's first term. Now the company is saying that there may be an impact under the new tariffs – but that the impact is likely to be minor because of that earlier shift to Taiwan, according to an interview with DC Life.

The first-term tariffs, however, were on a smaller scale than those proposed at the start of his 2025 term. Under current proposed tariffs, China, Mexico and Canada are expected to see a 25% tariff on goods imported to the US beginning April 02.

Will camera prices be affected by the trade war?

The regulations around the new tariffs seem to be changing with regularity, as countries announce retaliatory tariffs and analysts weigh in on the potential economic costs. The camera industry’s response to the proposed tariffs could likely change as the regulations change. However, for now, most of the camera companies that I talked to either declined to comment or said that, at this time, the company is not currently planning to increase costs.

“As of today, OM System has no plans to increase camera or lens prices due to tariffs,” a company representative told Digital Camera World. “However, the situation is evolving daily, and we continue to monitor it closely.”

DJI noted that tariffs are one of the factors considered in pricing. “Tariffs are one of several factors that we consider in our comprehensive pricing strategy,” A DJI spokesperson said. “Our commitment to closely monitoring relevant policies and economic indicators is unwavering, as is our dedication to providing high-quality products at the best possible price."

Luxury camera brand company Leica manufactures many of its cameras in Germany, where the company’s headquarters is also located, but also owns a factory in Portugal. “Leica does not comment on speculations,” a representative said.

Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm and GoPro have not yet responded to my request for comment. Panasonic and Sony responded but declined to comment at this time.

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