How Trump Tariffs Will Affect Your Netflix, Spotify Subscriptions

More price hikes likely on the way; S’pore firms using US cloud services also exposed

- Irene Tham

On May 4, US President Donald Trump threatened to slap import taxes on movies made outside the US to boost jobs in Hollywood.

The service tax comes on the heels of a slew of other new import taxes on physical goods—including steel, aluminum, smartphones, and computers—announced earlier in 2025. China retaliated with its own tariffs targeted at US imports.

While American and Chinese consumers are set to pay more, consumers and businesses in other parts of the world, including Singapore, will not be spared.

The Straits Times explains why Singaporeans' digital way of life could become more expensive as the US global tariff war drags on.

WHAT TARIFFS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED?

On April 9, Mr. Trump announced a massive baseline tariff of 145 percent for most Chinese imports.

Tariffs are typically a percentage of a product's value.

A temporary exemption for computers, phones, and PC cases from the 145 percent Chinese import tax was announced three days later.

No reprieve was given to other PC components such as fans, liquid coolers, and power supplies.

But China-made PC cases were already facing a general 20 percent import tariff, in addition to another 25 percent for cases made of aluminum and steel. This is because a 25 percent import tax on all steel and aluminum entering the US, including derivative products, took effect on March 12.

Graphics processing units critical to data centers for speeding up the training and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) models are also caught under this additional 25 percent aluminum-related tariff.

In retaliation, China imposed its own minimum 125 percent tariff on US goods. China also restricted its export of rare earths that are critical to the high-tech industry.