President Donald Trump has formally exempted smartphones, computers, and other vital electronics from sweeping reciprocal tariffs that were part of his bold new trade agenda aimed at confronting global trade abuses — particularly from Communist China.
The exemption, published late Friday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), appeared to spare nearly 20 categories of electronics from the retaliatory 125% tariffs imposed on Chinese imports under Executive Order 14257, including laptops, phones, semiconductor chips, and memory components, according to The Hill.
This carve-out is a gut punch to patriots who expected Trump’s tariff plan to stick it to nations flooding our markets with cheap goods. Instead, it’s looking like a sweetheart deal for Big Tech, foreign manufacturers, and of course to China.
This is a good news to companies like Apple, which rake in billions while assembling their gadgets in China.
The administration claims this is about “strategic alignment.”
Even though Executive Order 14259 specifically amended the tariff policy for low-value imports from China, the Presidential Memorandum clarifies that these Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) products are excluded from reciprocal tariffs — regardless of origin, including from China, if properly classified and reported under the exception codes.
The CBP notice outlines specific Harmonized Tariff Schedule codes that will be exempt from the reciprocal duties. These include key imports under headings like:
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8471 & 8473 (Computer and peripheral devices)
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8517 (Smartphones and routers)
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8523 & 8524 (Memory cards and storage media)
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8541 & 8542 (Semiconductors and integrated circuits)
Importers must follow strict reporting procedures, including the use of specific subheadings and corrective filings, to ensure compliance and eligibility for tariff refunds or exceptions. CBP has promised additional guidance in the coming days.
The Gateway Pundit previously reported the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has escalated its trade war with the United States by imposing a staggering 125% tariff on all American imports.
This move comes in direct response to President Donald Trump’s decisive action to raise tariffs on Chinese goods to an effective rate of 145%, aiming to counter Beijing’s longstanding trade abuses and intellectual property theft.
On Wednesday, Beijing foolishly retaliated against U.S. tariffs by imposing an 84% tariff on all American imports, a desperate move following President Trump’s earlier hike to 104% on Chinese goods.
But China severely miscalculated. Within hours, Trump raised tariffs to 125%, sending a clear message: America will not be bullied.
Trump wrote on Truth Social:
“Based on the lack of respect that China has shown to the World’s Markets, I am hereby raising the Tariff charged to China by the United States of America to 125%, effective immediately. At some point, hopefully in the near future, China will realize that the days of ripping off the U.S.A., and other Countries, is no longer sustainable or acceptable.
Conversely, and based on the fact that more than 75 Countries have called Representatives of the United States, including the Departments of Commerce, Treasury, and the USTR, to negotiate a solution to the subjects being discussed relative to Trade, Trade Barriers, Tariffs, Currency Manipulation, and Non Monetary Tariffs, and that these Countries have not, at my strong suggestion, retaliated in any way, shape, or form against the United States, I have authorized a 90 day PAUSE, and a substantially lowered Reciprocal Tariff during this period, of 10%, also effective immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
According to Yahoo, “The White House confirmed the total base tariff on China is actually 145%, an amount higher than the 125% previously reported… The confusion about the exact number stemmed from separate 20% duties on China over issues of fentanyl and illegal migration that Trump had imposed in February and March.”
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