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The Trump administration has decided to exclude items such as “smartphones, computers, and other electronics” from the tariffs imposed last week, even if these items are imported from China, according to Bloomberg. However, this does not mean all tariffs have been lifted, as other tariffs that were in place before Trump’s new ones on April 9th still remain applicable.
Just recently, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) updated their regulations to exempt devices like smartphones, laptops, hard drives, computer processors, and memory chips from the additional 125 percent tariff on Chinese imports and the 10 percent standard global tariff directed at most other countries, states Bloomberg. This exemption also applies to the machinery used by firms like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. for semiconductor production, as reported by the outlet.
Following the publication of this story, Bloomberg added an update noting that the White House issued a memo stating “the exemptions also cover changes in small-parcel shipping duties.” As mentioned by the outlet, Trump’s tariff proposals involved eliminating duty-free shipping for low-value packages. The President had increased rates for these types of shipments as part of an amendment to an executive order made public on Tuesday night.
Bloomberg also says in its updated story that products excluded in the CBP’s update are still subject to “a 20% duty applied to pressure Beijing to crack down on fentanyl, including the shipment of precursor materials,” as well as other tariffs, “including those that predate Trump’s current term.”
The news follows Trump’s decision to issue a “90-day pause” on higher tariff rates for most countries, while increasing the total rate for Chinese imports to 145 percent, the same day they went into effect.
It’s been expected that the tariffs — particularly those on China — would mean price hikes on the most popular tech products in the US. In some cases it already seemingly has, with Sony appearing to bake the tariffs into the US prices for its newest TVs and OnePlus raising the price of its new smartwatches without saying why.
Other companies have appeared reluctant to rock the boat while they wait for Trump’s chaotic trade war maneuvers to settle down. For instance, Nintendo delayed US preorders for the Switch 2 but has stayed committed to its $449.99 launch price, while Apple reportedly rushed to import 600 tons of iPhones from India before the tariffs went into effect this week.
Update April 12th: Updated with more details about the exclusions, which emerged after publication.
