IT Procurement Update – September 2026

Supply Urgency & Market Update

Canada-U.S. Trade Developments
WBM Technologies is closely monitoring the evolving trade situation between Canada and the United States, following the breakdown of bilateral trade negotiations. Canada has announced a reciprocal tariff response scheduled to take effect on September 8, 2026.

Based on discussions with our key manufacturers, distributors, and supply chain partners, the major PC manufacturers have advised that they do not currently anticipate any additional tariff-related price increases as a result of the latest announcement. However, products that are manufactured in, or shipped into Canada from, the United States, may be impacted by the new measures.

At this time, we believe the areas most likely to experience pricing pressure include:

• Office furniture
• Power infrastructure and UPS solutions
• Select audiovisual (AV) and meeting room technologies
• Other products with significant U.S.-based manufacturing or cross-border distribution dependencies

WBM continues to actively engage with manufacturers and distribution partners to assess potential impacts and identify opportunities to mitigate cost increases for our customers. We will continue to monitor developments closely and provide timely updates as additional information becomes available.

Extended Constraints Expected Through 2027

Industry analysts continue to project elevated demand and constrained supply conditions through at least late 2027. Significant investment from global cloud and hyperscale providers is expected to keep pressure on memory, compute, and infrastructure manufacturing capacity for the foreseeable future.

The WBM Procurement Services Team tracks these conditions daily alongside our manufacturing and distribution partners. Our IT procurement services give you real-time visibility into what’s actually available from Tier 1 manufacturers and distributors in Canada, so refresh decisions are based on current supply rather than last quarter’s catalogue.

Lenovo

Status: Stable | Watch | Constrained

Pricing and quoting: 

Panasonic

Status: Stable | Watch | Constrained

Pricing and quoting:

• Panasonic has notified partners of an upcoming price increase effective October 1.
• Although the exact impact will depend on the specific model and configuration, customers should budget for increases in the range of 10% to 15%, with certain products potentially experiencing increases of up to 20%.
• Given the magnitude of these changes, organizations may wish to evaluate any planned Toughbook purchases ahead of the effective date to secure current pricing.

Dell

Status: Stable | Watch | Constrained

Pricing and quoting:

• Dell has extended quote validity periods from 14 days to 30 days, which provides customers with additional pricing stability; however, we anticipate incremental monthly pricing adjustments may continue as market conditions evolve.
• Looking further ahead, we expect continued pricing pressure across the PC market into 2027 due to ongoing demand for AI-enabled technologies, component constraints, higher manufacturing costs, and global supply chain uncertainty.

Crestron

Status: Stable | Watch | Constrained

Pricing and quoting:

• Crestron has advised that new Canadian tariffs taking effect September 8, 2026, will impact a limited number of products with a U.S. country of origin. Currently, 16 Crestron SKUs are affected, while the vast majority of the Crestron portfolio remains unchanged.
• Importantly, Crestron is not increasing pricing on these products. Any applicable tariff charges will be assessed by Canadian authorities at the time of import based on current regulations.

Our Recommendation

Consider Accelerating Planned Purchases

Customers who have budgeted refresh projects for Q4 or early 2027 should consider engaging with their WBM account team as early as possible. Securing pricing and placing orders ahead of the announced adjustment dates may help minimize exposure to increased costs and potential demand-related delays.

By evaluating upcoming requirements in advance, customers may be able to secure existing pricing and avoid unnecessary cost increases on planned purchases. This is particularly important for larger deployments where quote approvals, budget sign-off, and order processing may require additional lead time.

Our procurement specialists can help assess upcoming requirements, identify available inventory, and develop a purchasing strategy that maximizes value while minimizing exposure to announced manufacturer price increases.

Looking Ahead
While overall supply chain conditions remain stable compared to recent years, manufacturers continue to evaluate pricing based on a variety of market factors, including component costs, product mix, and ongoing investments in innovation.

WBM continues to closely monitor market developments across all major technology manufacturers and will keep customers informed of changes that may affect procurement planning, budgeting, and technology modernization initiatives.

Current market conditions are creating increased risk around:

• Pricing stability
• Product availability
• Lead times
• Quote validity periods

For many organizations, proactively securing memory, storage, and infrastructure capacity upfront may help reduce future cost exposure and mitigate deployment delays. If you have upcoming technology refreshes, infrastructure projects, or anticipated growth initiatives, WBM strongly recommends evaluating opportunities to accelerate procurement timelines where possible.

WBM’s Procurement Services Team maintains real-time visibility into inventory and availability across Tier 1 manufacturers and distributors throughout Canada. We also offer managed inventory strategies and flexible financing options, including evergreen programs, designed to help customers reduce the overall total cost of ownership while navigating market uncertainty.

Reach out to your WBM account team, or contact our Strategic Procurement group at 888-275-4926 or sales@wbm.ca. Existing customers can view real-time product availability through the WBM Direct procurement portal at wbmdirect.ca. If you’re not working with us yet, our approach to technology procurement covers how we source, stage, and support technology through its full lifecycle.

WBM is a Western Canadian IT channel partner dedicated to helping organizations across Western Canada navigate ongoing supply chain challenges with transparency, strategic guidance, and proactive procurement planning.

Sincerely,

Ashley Schell
Director, Strategic Procurement
WBM Technologies