reMarkable Announces Tariff-Induced Price Hike for E-ink Tablets

Digital notebook brand reMarkable will increase U.S. prices this May. “Increased costs,” presumably due to the revocation of de minimis tariff exemptions on May 2nd, are the reason for this price adjustment.

Of all the e-reader brands sold in the United States, reMarkable might be the most interesting. Its tablets are primarily marketed as digital note-taking devices, but they’re surprisingly versatile—we used a reMarkable Paper Pro to read comic books, draw pictures of Snoopy, type out blog posts, and perform a range of other fun tasks.

Now, reMarkable is emailing customers to warn of an upcoming price hike. Rival e-reader brands like BOOX implemented price hikes earlier this year in response to Trump tariffs, but reMarkable managed to avoid import taxes through its “delivery duty paid” or “DDP” model (popularized by direct-to-consumer storefronts like Temu and AliExpress). The DDP loophole is closing on May 2nd, hence the need for a price adjustment.

“We’d like to give you a heads-up about changes coming to our prices in the US next month. Due to increased costs, we’ve made the touch decision to raise our prices, starting in May. We’ll share updated pricing soon. Until then, our prices will stay the same. So if you’ve been on the fence about buying a new folio or Marker, upgrading to reMarkable Paper Pro, or treating someone to a paper tablet, now’s the time.”

reMarkable won’t announce its updated pricing until May, which isn’t too surprising, given the White House’s extreme unpredictability and the CCP’s aggressive response to the U.S.-imposed trade war. That said, it’s important to emphasize that reMarkable follows a direct-to-consumer or “delivery duty paid” shipping model. The 104% tariff rate on China, which goes into effect tomorrow, April 9th, won’t affect DDP shipments under $800 in value—such products, which have long been exempt from import fees under the de minimis loophole, will face a relatively mild 30% tariff after May 2nd.

Of course, a 30% tax is only “mild” when compared to a 104% tax. If reMarkable passes tariffs onto the consumer without eating any of the cost, then the $579 Paper Pro tablet could reasonably leap to anywhere between $600 and $700. I’m giving loose figures because tariffs are measured by a product’s declared value at customs, not the MSRP, so it’s impossible for me to calculate the exact import tax for any item. And if reMarkable expects additional tariffs in the future, it might aim for a much steeper price increase than what I’m predicting today.

Additionally, reMarkable’s ability to sell small accessories, like styli and folio cases, may be hampered when the Trump administration imposes a $50 minimum tariff on direct-to-consumer imports. This $50 minimum tariff is intended for low-value items that generate less than $50 when taxed at 30%—it’s not an additional tariff, it’s just a minimum fee for the May 2nd tariff, and it will only affect products with a declared value of $166 or less. The White House hasn’t clarified when this minimum tax will take effect.

If you want to buy a reMarkable tablet at current pricing, you’d better do it now. You can shop the reMarkable web store or grab one of the company’s tablet bundles at Best Buy. I suggest the latter option, as international product returns may be impacted by tariffs. To be clear, reMarkable has only announced a price increase in the United States. The company does not appear to be changing its prices in other countries.

reMarkable Paper Pro

The reMarkable Paper Pro is the ultimate color E-Ink note taker, but don’t expect much else for the price.

Source: reMarkable