Trump spares smartphones, laptops from crushing tariffs on Chinese imports

The administration of US President Donald Trump has granted a significant reprieve to the tech sector by exempting smartphones, computers, and other key electronic devices from sweeping tariffs, including a 125 per cent duty on Chinese imports.

According to US Customs and Border Protection, these products are now excluded from both the 10 per cent global tariff and the elevated tariffs targeting Chinese goods, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The decision marks the first major rollback in Trump’s aggressive tariff campaign against China. The move comes after growing concerns from US technology companies that rising tariffs would dramatically increase the cost of consumer electronics.

The exemptions, retroactive to April 5, also apply to semiconductors, solar cells, and memory chips. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the aim was to allow companies time to shift production to the US. Despite the exemptions, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller confirmed that the products will still face a separate 20 per cent tariff related to fentanyl-related concerns. 

Analysts warned that iPhone prices could have tripled without the relief. About 80 per cent of Apple’s US-bound iPhones are made in China, though the company is now accelerating production in India and Vietnam to diversify supply chains. Trump also announced a 90-day tariff delay for most countries—except China, whose tariffs rose to 145 per cent in response to its retaliatory threats.

On April 2, US President Donald Trump announced the imposition of tariffs on imports from 185 countries and territories. A week later, on April 9, he said that tariff increases would be suspended for 90 days for 75 countries that expressed a willingness to negotiate. For those nations, a reduced import duty of 10 per cent would apply. However, the measure does not extend to China.

Trump then issued a new warning to Beijing, vowing to maintain a 104 per cent tariff on Chinese goods until China agrees to a trade deal with the US. In response, China retaliated by raising its own tariffs on US imports to 84 per cent.

In turn, Trump announced an immediate hike of US tariffs on Chinese products to 125 per cent. When combined with an existing 20 per cent penalty tariff—imposed earlier due to what Washington claims are insufficient efforts by China, Canada, and Mexico to curb the spread of the synthetic opioid fentanyl—the total effective tariff on Chinese goods now stands at 145 per cent.

By Naila Huseynova