US spares phones, chips, computers from Trump tariffs
The US has excluded smartphones, computers and other electronics imports, supplied largely by China, from President Donald Trump’s steep duties, a move that may help keep prices down for key consumer electronics made abroad.
In a notice to shippers, the US Customs and Border Protection agency published a list of tariff codes that will be excluded from the duties. That means they won’t be subject to the current 145 per cent tariffs levied on China or the 10 per cent baseline tariffs elsewhere. The list has 20 product categories, including the very broad 8471 code for all computers, laptops, disc drives and automatic data processing. It also includes semiconductor devices, equipment, memory chips and flat panel displays.
The notice doesn't not provide an explanation for the move, but provides welcome relief to big tech companies such as Apple, Dell and Samsung.
