Donald Trump Relents on Tariffs for Phones, Laptops – Primarily from China
The Trump administration has removed tariffs on smartphones, computers, and related electronics – a move expected to reduce expenses for American shoppers regarding numerous sought-after tech items.
The exemptions, detailed Friday in a notice from US Customs and Border Protection, encompass a variety of electronic devices, including smartphones and their parts coming into the United States from China, presently burdened by a substantial additional 145 percent duty.
Furthermore, semiconductors are being removed from both the standard 10-percent tariff applied to most US trade allies and the steeper 125-percent charge imposed on China.
These exceptions refine the scope of the broad 10-percent levies unveiled by President Donald Trump earlier this month, alongside the significant extra duty on merchandise originating from China.
Trump has specifically focused on China with his “reciprocal tariffs,” intended to counter practices Washington considers inequitable, most recently implementing a new 125-percent tariff on goods from the world’s second-largest economy, now in effect.
This new rate builds upon a prior 20-percent tariff imposed by Trump concerning China’s purported involvement in fentanyl distribution, and other existing tariffs from past administrations – resulting in a total of at least 145 percent for many goods.
A significant portion of the exempted items, such as hard drives and computer chips, are typically not manufactured within the U.S.
Although Trump has presented tariffs as a means to revitalize American manufacturing, establishing domestic production capacity will likely require considerable time.
