Trump Exempts Smartphones, Other Electronics From Chinese Tariffs
President Trump’s tariff exemptions on some electronics are the latest twist in U.S. trade policy. Smartphones, laptop computers, memory chips and other electronics will be exempt from President Trump’s so-called reciprocal tariffs, another step back that could ease some consumer concerns about an immediate jump in costs for tech products imported from China. New guidance published late Friday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection also exempts machines used to create semiconductors, plus products including computer monitors, tablets, Apple watches and computers from the tariffs Trump imposed in his April 2 executive order, which mandated levies of 10% of the value of almost all U.S. imports, and set higher rates on imports from some countries.