President Donald Trump’s administration exempted smartphones, computers and other electronics of so -called mutual tariffs, which can alleviate consumers’ surprise with prices, while benefiting electronics giants such as Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co.
The exceptions, published last Friday by the US Department of Custom and Border Protection, reduce the scope for customs, excluding customs products of 125% over China and 10% global prices across almost all other countries.
Exceptions apply to smartphones, laptops, hard drives and computer processors and memory chips. These popular electronic articles are usually not manufactured in the United States. Establishing a domestic production would take years.
Products that will not be covered by new Trump prices also include machines used to make semiconductors. This is important for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., who announced a large new investment in the United States, as well as for other chip manufacturers.
Suspension of customs can be volatile. The exceptions are the result of the first order, which prevented additional prices in certain sectors from accumulating from the general interest rates in the country. Exceptions are a sign that products may soon be subject to another ticket price, although it is almost certainly a lower interest rate for China.
One of these exceptions was for semiconductors, to which Trump promised regularly to apply a specific duty. He has not done so yet, but the last exceptions seem to correspond to this exception. The Trump sector’s customs duties have so far been set at 25%, although it is unclear what your interest rate on related semiconductors and products would be.
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The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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