No Tariffs on Phones, Computers, Chips: Trump’s Strategic Exemption
In recent days, United States President Donald Trump has been creating tension across the global economic landscape through a series of tariffs. Particularly targeting China, Trump has imposed substantial duties on imports. However, excluding China, a 90-day window has been provided before the implementation of tariffs on various other countries.
Amidst this backdrop, Trump has taken another significant decision by announcing exemptions from reciprocal tariffs for mobile phones, computers, and chips. Trade analysts believe this latest move will benefit leading electronics companies such as Apple and Samsung. In line with this, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection has released the relevant guidelines.
Earlier, concerns were raised that Trump's proposal to impose heavy tariffs on Chinese imports would adversely affect major technology corporations like Apple. As Apple manufactures many of its products in China, the tariffs were expected to impact the company negatively. However, the latest announcement is expected to ease those concerns.
According to the notification released by U.S. Customs, the exemption applies to smartphones, laptops, hard drives, and semiconductors. These items are typically not manufactured in the United States. Domestic production of such goods would require several years to establish.
Furthermore, machines used in the manufacturing of semiconductors are also to be exempted from the new set of Trump-imposed tariffs. This provides relief not only to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, which has announced significant investments in the U.S., but also to other chip manufacturers.
Until now, Trump’s sectoral tariffs have been set at 25 percent. However, the specific tariff rate on semiconductors and related products remains undisclosed. The White House has not yet issued an official response regarding this matter.