Your smartphones and other gadgets are now exempt from US tariffs

President Donald Trump briefly instituted broad tariffs on countries around the world. The president then made a U-turn but maintained tariffs on China. Now, the administration has exempted a variety of electronics from any new tariffs, including levies against China.

The US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) issued a list of 20 product codes that would be exempt from these “reciprocal” tariffs. Exempted products include smartphones, computers, laptops, displays and projectors (including touchscreens), semiconductors and integrated circuits, LEDs, and solid-state storage.

Trump announced a 125% tariff on China last week, on top of an existing 20% fentanyl-related levy announced earlier this year. If the 125% tariff on China applied to these products, this would’ve meant drastic price increases for Android phones, iPhones, PCs, and more. So, news of a broad exemption is a welcome reprieve for US consumers in light of many tech products being manufactured in China. 

Nevertheless, news of an exemption comes as many tech companies seek to diversify their production lines in recent years. Companies like Apple, Samsung, OnePlus, and Google all manufacture at least some of their products in India and/or Vietnam.