Trump exempts smartphones, computers from ‘reciprocal’ tariffs

The latest exemptions cover imports from China, in first sign of possible softening of US trade war against Beijing. Smartphones, laptops and a host of other tech components will be spared from the Trump administration’s so-called “reciprocal tariffs”, including steep 125 percent duties on imports from China, according to a notice issued by US Customs and Border Protection. “US tariff exclusions will apply to computers, smartphones, and chip-making equipment which takes a huge black cloud overhang for now over the tech sector,” he said in a note cited by the AFP news agency. Without these exemptions, he said, “the US Tech industry would be taken back a decade and the AI Revolution thesis would have been slowed significantly.” The move came as retaliatory Chinese import tariffs of 125 percent on US goods took effect on Saturday, with Beijing standing defiant against its primary trade competitor. Earlier in the week, Trump officials announced a 90-day reprieve on “reciprocal” tariffs for most countries, introducing instead a flat 10-percent rate, though China remained excluded from the revised scheme.