A casual remark from the U.S. Commerce Secretary might lead to substantial extra expenses for PC construction or upgrades, though it could ultimately amount to mere rhetoric.

During the ceremonial start of construction for Micron's latest memory production facility in New York, Bloomberg highlighted a subtle caution from U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick regarding potential duties on overseas DRAM producers.

"Those interested in memory production face a binary option: face a 100 percent import duty or establish operations domestically. This represents our approach to industrial strategy," Lutnick stated, according to Bloomberg's coverage.

These statements arrive at an inopportune moment for DRAM consumers. Data from PCPartPicker shows DDR4 DRAM costs have surged almost fourfold since June of last year, mirroring the escalation for a set of 16GB DDR5-4800 modules. Imposing a 100 percent duty on memory chips would effectively double current rates, pushing the roughly $400 price tag for DDR5 kits beyond $800. Given DRAM's role in vehicles, mobile devices, and more, such a move would ripple through pricing for those goods as well.

The tech sector is grappling with steep cost increases for DRAM, solid-state drives, and traditional hard drives, driven by intense procurement from AI data center operators seeking components for their server infrastructure. At the same time, the Trump administration has fluctuated on trade duties with unpredictable patterns, including a recent suggestion from Trump to impose levies on French sparkling wine unless France supports his envisioned Peace Commission.

The primary aim of these duties is to boost U.S.-based semiconductor production. Major player TSMC is advancing its Arizona fabrication projects at an accelerated pace. Micron is initiating its $100 billion expansive facility—the location of Lutnick's comments—while acquiring a Taiwanese plant from Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation for $9.5 billion. That particular site remains in Taiwan.

Just last week, the U.S. reduced duties on imports from Taiwan to secure greater commitments for semiconductor fabrication investments within American borders.

Currently, Lutnick is attending the Davos forum in Switzerland, where American representatives are addressing Trump's idea to incorporate Greenland, a pressing international issue that currently eclipses discussions on trade barriers.