President Donald Trump has strategically exempted smartphones, computer chips, and a range of other technological products from the sweeping tariffs he recently enacted.
This decision, outlined in new guidance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), comes as a relief to tech companies heavily reliant on international manufacturing.
As reported by The Post Millennial, the guidance was released late Friday, following Trump's imposition of a hefty 145 percent tariff on Chinese imports and a broad 10 percent tariff on nearly all other goods entering the United States. The CBP's statement clarified that the exempted technology "will be excluded from the reciprocal tariffs imposed under Executive Order 14257, as amended, pursuant to Section 3(b)(iv) of that Order, effective for merchandise entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption."
The exemption list includes laptops, semiconductors, solar cells, flat-screen televisions, and smartphones, potentially benefiting tech giants like Apple. CNBC notes that while Apple has historically manufactured many products in China, it has shifted some iPhone production to India to sidestep the Chinese tariffs. Bloomberg adds that machines used in semiconductor production are also exempt, a crucial detail given the U.S.'s ongoing efforts to bolster domestic semiconductor manufacturinga process that could take years to fully realize.
In a broader context, Trump has temporarily paused the tariffs for 90 days on most nations, maintaining a baseline 10 percent tariff on nearly all imports, with China being the notable exception. Chinese imports face a steep 145 percent tariff, save for the newly exempted technology. This move underscores a strategic approach to balancing protectionist policies with the realities of global supply chains, particularly in the tech sector.
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