Trump administration to exclude smartphones and computers from reciprocal tariffs
The Trump administration late on Friday has declared that it will exclude electronics as a smartphone and laptop from mutual rates, a move that could help keep prices for popular consumption electronics low that are usually not made in the United States
The move would also be for the benefit of large technological companies such as Apple and Samsung and chip producers such as Nvidia.
The protection of US customs and borders listed about 20 products that would qualify for the exemption. They include rigid discs, memory chips, flat panel monitor and solid state storage devices, as well as machines used to produce semiconductors.
This means that they will not be subject to current tariffs of 145 % collected on China or basic rates of 10 % elsewhere.
Trump previously said he would consider the exemption of some companies from the rates.
The move takes off “a huge protrusion of the black cloud for now in the technological sector and the pressure that faces the great technology,” said the Wedbush Dan Ives analyst in a research note.
Neither Apple nor Samsung responded to a comment request early on Saturday. Nvidia refused to comment.
