The Trump administration has decided to exempt imported smartphones, laptops, and other electronics from being subject to reciprocal tariffs. This development was detailed in new guidance issued by Customs and Border Patrol, which was announced late on Friday. The guidance indicates that these electronics will not be affected by the executive order President Trump issued on April 2, which declared a national emergency over non-reciprocal trade practices and structural imbalances within the global trade system. Subsequent orders had increased tariffs on China to 125%.
According to updated guidance, as noted in a presidential memorandum, these electronics are excluded from both Trump’s 125% tariff on China and the baseline 10% global tariff applied to some countries. These exclusions apply to goods dispatched from warehouses as of April 5.
The exemption from tariffs is expected to benefit consumers and provide a boost to major electronics companies such as Apple, Samsung, and Dell. This move was confirmed by a White House official to Fox News.
Other exempted goods include hard drives, computer processors, solar cells, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, flat panel TV displays, and memory chips. These items are typically not manufactured domestically and establishing production within the U.S. would take years, as reported by Bloomberg.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that President Trump has emphasized that the U.S. should not depend on China for the manufacture of critical technologies such as semiconductors, chips, smartphones, and laptops. To this end, the President has reportedly secured significant investments from major tech firms, including Apple, TSMC, and Nvidia, to promote manufacturing within the U.S. as swiftly as possible.
China reportedly contributes nearly 25% of all electronics imported into the United States, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission.
On Wednesday, President Trump announced a 90-day pause on the reciprocal, customized tariffs previously imposed on several nations. This move marked a shift in policy after earlier statements indicated there would not be a pause, only negotiations.
Concurrently, the Trump administration increased the tariff on China to 125%, which provoked China to elevate tariffs on American imports from 84% to 125% amid the continuing trade conflict between the two nations.
An official from the Trump administration informed Fox News Digital that the pause resulted from recommendations by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, following positive commitments from trading partners willing to renegotiate trade deals favorably for the U.S.
President Trump agreed to the pause, with an administration official highlighting that while market volatility was being monitored, the President’s primary focus was addressing the national emergency of trade deficits.
The 90-day pause is intended to provide an opportunity for countries to establish bilateral trade agreements with the U.S., with the goal of making 90 such deals in 90 days.
