US President Donald Trump’s administration has excluded smartphones, laptop computers and machines used to make semiconductors from its so-called “reciprocal tariffs”, a significant carve-out for items heavily reliant on Chinese manufacturing, and the latest twist in a trade war that has roiled global markets for more than a week.
The tariff reprieve does not appear to extend to the separate 20 per cent duty enacted in two stages weeks after Trump took office in an effort to push Beijing to crack down on fentanyl, including the shipment of precursor materials.
Products spared also include hard drives, computer processors and memory chips. Most of the exempted items are produced outside America, with a major share in Asian manufacturing hubs, China in particular.
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China condemns US ‘bullying’ as Trump’s 104% tariffs kick in, vows resolute measures
China condemns US ‘bullying’ as Trump’s 104% tariffs kick in, vows resolute measures
“There could be a couple of exceptions for obvious reasons, but I would say 10 per cent is a floor,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One.
