Tech Titans Breathe a Sigh of Relief After Donald Trump’s Latest Tariff Move [WATCH]

The Trump administration has announced a new round of tariffs on Chinese imports, but with a key exemption: smartphones, computers, and other essential consumer electronics will not be subject to the new trade penalties.

JUST IN: US President Trump exempts smartphones, computers, and chips from new tariffs, including those imported from China. pic.twitter.com/goGyJB5V6u

— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) April 12, 2025

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The move is aimed at maintaining pressure on China over its trade practices while safeguarding critical American technology industries and consumer interests.

According to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection memo, the exemption will apply to electronic products including smartphones, computer monitors, semiconductors, solar cells, flash drives, flat-panel TV displays, and memory cards.

The tariff relief extends to goods entering the United States or being removed from bonded warehouses beginning April 5.

The decision is expected to benefit major U.S. technology firms such as Apple, Nvidia, and Microsoft.

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Apple, in particular, could see significant short-term relief, as approximately 90% of its iPhones are manufactured in China.

The iPhone remains one of the most widely used consumer devices in the United States.

The Trump administration emphasized that the goal of the exemption is to provide U.S. companies time to transition production out of China and back to domestic or allied sources.

A statement from White House Deputy Press Secretary Kush Desai reinforced the administration’s position that this exemption does not signal a long-term withdrawal from its broader goal of reducing reliance on Chinese technology manufacturing.

“President Trump has made it clear that America cannot continue to rely on China to produce vital technologies like semiconductors, chips, smartphones, and laptops,” Desai said in a statement on Saturday.

“At the direction of the President, these companies are hustling to onshore their manufacturing in the United States as soon as possible.”

Commerce Secretary @howardlutnick on tariffs exemptions for certain electronics: “Those products are going to be part of the semiconductor sectoral tariffs, which are coming … We need to have these things made in America.” pic.twitter.com/2FvptcBzqe

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 13, 2025

Industry analysts say the exemption could help stabilize supply chains and protect consumers from sharp price increases in the near term.

Analysts at Wedbush Securities described the move as the “best news possible for tech investors,” highlighting the exemption’s impact on companies heavily dependent on Chinese manufacturing infrastructure.

However, the relief may be temporary. Counterpoint Research, which monitors global smartphone shipments, noted that Apple currently has approximately six weeks’ worth of iPhone inventory in the U.S.

Once that supply is exhausted, the potential for price hikes may increase if new tariffs are introduced later.

The administration has framed the latest trade decision as a targeted strategy designed to apply economic pressure without undermining U.S. innovation or burdening consumers with higher prices on essential technologies.

While the new round of tariffs will still apply to a broad range of imports, the tech exemption underscores the administration’s intent to differentiate between strategic trade enforcement and safeguarding domestic economic priorities.

It also aligns with the administration’s broader plan to increase domestic manufacturing capacity in key technology sectors, including semiconductors and advanced electronics.

As the administration continues to pursue bilateral trade agreements and supply chain restructuring, the status of these exemptions may be revisited.

For now, the White House maintains that the exemption is a tactical decision that supports national economic resilience and gives American companies room to adjust in a competitive global marketplace.

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