U.S. Government Announces Temporary Tariffs on Electronics
On April 12, the U.S. government announced temporary tariffs on electronic products such as smartphones, laptops, and chips, alleviating considerable pressure on well-known companies like Apple, Nvidia, and TSMC, while also preventing consumers from experiencing a price surge in the short term.
According to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, who was interviewed on April 14, chips will be handled under the “semiconductor tariff” framework and will be taxed using different logic rather than being completely revoked. Although the exemption is only temporary, it undoubtedly serves as a boost for the global technology industry.
Exemption for Smartphones, Computers, and Chips
According to an announcement by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on April 11:
- Smartphones
- Laptops
- Memory
- Processors
- Displays
- Semi-conductor manufacturing equipment
These items will not be included in the 125% tariffs on China proposed by Trump and the 10% global baseline tax. This exemption will be retroactive to April 5, meaning that previously imported goods will also benefit from the exemption.
U.S. Electronic Products Tariff Exemption Announcement
Exemption Totals Up to $390 Billion, with Smartphones Accounting for $41 Billion
According to think tank data:
- The total exemption for imported goods amounts to $390 billion.
- Goods from China exceed $100 billion.
- The largest category is smartphones, totaling $41 billion, followed by laptops, memory, processors, and other computer peripheral equipment.
U.S. Government Electronics Products Tariff Exemption Proportion and Total Amount
AI Chips and Manufacturing Equipment Included, a Boon for TSMC and Nvidia
This exemption also covers:
- AI chip servers, primarily manufactured in Taiwan and Mexico.
- Semi-conductor manufacturing equipment, such as those produced by ASML and Tokyo Electron.
This reduces import cost pressures for companies like TSMC, Samsung, and Intel, which are building factories in the U.S., and also indirectly strengthens the domestic semiconductor supply chain.
The U.S. Actively Works to Reduce Dependency on Chinese Technology Products
According to Bloomberg, White House spokesperson Leavitt stated that the administration has successfully secured commitments from global tech giants to invest trillions of dollars in the U.S., and these companies are working to relocate their production lines back to America.
However, it was also noted that this exemption does not equate to abandoning the tariff strategy; it is merely a transitional arrangement for certain industrial sectors.
Commerce Secretary Lutnick: New Taxation Approach for Semiconductors and Pharmaceuticals
Regarding the temporary tax exemption for electronics products like smartphones and laptops, Secretary Lutnick emphasized this morning, on April 14, that these products will be classified under the “semiconductor tariff” framework, taxed using a different logic rather than being completely revoked.
He added, “President Trump aims to classify key products such as pharmaceuticals and semiconductors as non-negotiable items, making them national security projects while also bringing focus back to American manufacturing.”
Adjustment of De Minimis Policy Targets Small Trade with China
The Trump administration has also further adjusted the “De Minimis” policy, which originally allowed:
- Goods valued at $800 or less per import to be exempt from tariffs.
Starting now, this exemption will be first applied to goods from China, aimed at combating Chinese e-commerce platforms like Shein and Temu that sell low-priced items to the U.S. market via “small packages.”
Short-Term Relief for the Tech Industry and Consumers
Analysts believe this round of exemptions serves as:
- A short-term relief for pressure on the tech industry and consumers.
- A potential paving stone for a new wave of targeted industry tariffs.
- Not a softening stance from Trump, but rather a strategic pivot.
This allows tech giants like Apple, Nvidia, and TSMC to avoid the immediate impact of tariffs, but the Trump administration’s direction remains unchanged:
- Critical technology industries must be “made in America.”
- Tariffs will shift towards “specific industries and specific products.”
- Preventing China from monopolizing the high-tech supply chain while protecting the transformation space for American companies and consumers.
(U.S. Secretary of Commerce Lutnick: Pharmaceuticals and chips will be classified as non-negotiable bargaining chips and will incur national security tariffs.)
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