(The Hill) — The Trump administration is exempting electronics such as phones, computers and other electronics from the “reciprocal” tariffs imposed on other nations, including China.
Guidance posted by Customs and Border Protection, which collects duties on imports, indicated roughly 20 products would be excluded from reciprocal tariffs. Those include smartphones, computers, routers and semiconductor chips.
The exemptions could be a break for consumers, who were facing the possibility of paying higher prices on electronics because of steep tariffs imposed on China. It’s also a win for companies like Apple, which manufactures many of its products in China.
Trump has signaled he will impose sector-specific tariffs on goods like semiconductor chips, however, the reprieve may be short lived in some cases.
The White House earlier this month announced a 10 percent baseline tariff on foreign imports, as well as steeper “reciprocal” tariffs on dozens of other countries, including many key trading partners. Trump later announced the steeper tariffs would be reduced to 10 percent for 90 days to allow time for negotiations.
That alteration did not apply to China, however. Trump has ratcheted up reciprocal tariffs on China to 125 percent on top of 20 percent levies, leading to a proportionate response from Beijing. That has escalated fears of a massive trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Friday night that he was optimistic the U.S. and China would be able to work something out, citing his relationship with President Xi Jinping.
“I think something positive is going to come out of it,” Trump said.
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