RAM pains easing — maybe
There are early signs the 2026 RAM price crisis is starting to crack, helped by a $130B tariff refund and new consumer protections — but prices remain volatile so timing still matters. Experts say some spring bargains could appear, but don’t expect stability overnight. (tomsguide.com)
The U.S. Supreme Court held on Feb. 20, 2026 that tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) were unlawful. (budgetmodel.wharton.upenn.edu) U.S. Customs and Border Protection told a court it collected roughly $166 billion in IEEPA duties across more than 53 million entries from more than 330,000 importers. (cnbc.com) The U.S. Court of International Trade issued an order in early March directing refunds and designated Judge Richard Eaton to oversee the consolidated refund litigation. (pwc.com) Senators introduced the Tariff Refund Act of 2026 (S.3905), which would require CBP to reliquidate entries and refund IEEPA duties with interest within 180 days while prioritizing small businesses. (govtrack.us) State attorneys general and consumer advocates have pressed Congress to require that importers who passed tariff costs on to customers return those sums, and logistics companies such as FedEx publicly said they would refund customers if they receive government reimbursements. (ago.vermont.gov) (iheart.com) Market analysts warn that AI datacenter demand has already driven DRAM price spikes measured in the hundreds of percent, and Gartner forecasts combined DRAM and SSD prices could rise about 130% by the end of 2026 — meaning refunds may help margins but not instantly normalize retail RAM prices. (originalpricing.com) (tomshardware.com) CBP told the Court it expects to begin issuing refunds after automating parts of its process and could start in late April, but the White House has sought delays and the administration faces thousands of lawsuits that make the timing of cash hitting importers — and any downstream price relief — uncertain. (cnbc.com) (politico.com)
