Commercial Integrator recently learned that Crestron will eliminate its tariff surcharge on May 29, while simultaneously introducing a global price increase across its product lines. This aligns with a wider shift we may be beginning to see among AV suppliers.
This move matters for several reasons. First, it rolls higher costs into standard product pricing rather than keeping a separate surcharge in place. Second, it signals that manufacturers like Crestron increasingly see today’s supply chain and component cost pressures as lasting issues — not just short-term disruptions. Third, it adds to a growing list of AV and UC manufacturers adjusting prices in response to market conditions.
Here, we break down what is changing at Crestron and what’s likely to change at other manufacturers, as well as why it is happening and what dealers and integrators should watch in the weeks ahead.
How is Crestron Pricing Changing on May 29?
CI has learned that Crestron’s current tariff surcharge, set at 4%, will be removed on May 29. On the same day, the company will implement a global price increase whose size varies by product category.
For many products, the increase will be 5%. Because North American dealers are currently paying the 4% tariff surcharge, this shift will result in what amounts to a net 1% increase for those products.
Other product categories will see steeper price increases. For example, most of Crestron’s AV-over-IP products will rise by 10%. Meanwhile, for high-memory-usage products, such as control processors and touchscreens, the price jump will be 15%. This last category also includes key products like Collab Compute and the Crestron Flex videoconferencing products.
In practical terms, across categories, separate tariff surcharges will disappear and base product pricing will rise.
Why AV Vendors Are Making the Move
Despite the Supreme Court ruling earlier this year, tariff expenses have become more stable. That stability appears to have made the separate tariff surcharge less necessary. At the same time, other costs have moved in the opposite direction.
Among the biggest pressures are memory pricing, other electronic component costs and fuel-driven transportation costs. Products that rely heavily on onboard computing and memory are being hit harder than other categories. This helps explain why the steepest increases are concentrated in those product families.
Moreover, ongoing geopolitical instability adds yet more uncertainty to logistics and procurement planning. Manufacturers that want to maintain inventory levels may be buying ahead, paying more for parts and taking on higher carrying costs to avoid stock shortages later.
Why the Change Matters to Integrators and Dealers
Advance notice has been a key part of Crestron’s messaging rollout. Dealers and integrators are reportedly being given approximately six weeks to prepare before the price change comes into effect.
That lead time gives partners a chance to review open proposals and place orders ahead of the increase if needed, as well as talk with customers about timing.
This matters in a market in which many projects are quoted weeks or months before equipment ships. If pricing changes arrive without warning, integrators can get caught between committed customer budgets and higher supplier costs.
The advance notice from Crestron is intended to create a clear cutoff for dealers or integrators so they can have a more stable posture from which to plan business.
Higher Increases for Memory-Intensive Products
CI has been covering memory now being far more expensive and devices with greater onboard processing demands increasingly being subject to those cost increases.
The spread of AI infrastructure and ongoing demand for high-performance computing components has also contributed to tighter supply conditions in parts of the semiconductor market.
For the AV industry, this means smart products may face stronger cost pressure than simpler endpoint devices. As more systems include embedded computing, analytics, networking and software-driven features, pricing pressure may continue to skew toward inequitably.
A Broader AV Industry Trend
Crestron is certainly not alone in rolling out price increases. CI’s sources indicate that major AV and UC manufacturers, including Logitech, Cisco and HP | Poly, have rolled out or will roll out price increases.
This shows that this is not an isolated decision by one vendor but, rather, reflects a broader response to market pressures affecting all manufacturers across the sector.
What This Says About Market Outlook
This pricing shift also offers a window into how manufacturers will perceive the near future. Removing a tariff surcharge while increasing standard pricing suggests that temporary fees are giving way to more permanent higher-pricing models.
Unfortunately for those bearing the burden of universally higher costs, CI’s reporting suggests that tariff-related refunds are highly unlikely to materialize. Any refund process, if possible, would likely be slow, administratively complex and limited in scope. That means dealers and manufacturers should not expect near-term cost recovery.
The major takeaway for integrators is that AV manufacturers appear to be planning for ongoing cost pressure rather than a fast return to pre-disruption norms.
