US prepares new tariffs on electronics after temporary reprieve - US Secretary of Commerce
Photo: US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick (Getty Images)
The decision by the administration of US President Donald Trump to exempt smartphones, computers, and chips from new import tariffs is only a short-term relief. New tariffs on electronics are coming soon, RBC-Ukraine reports referring to a statement by US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, quoted by ABC News.
According to Lutnick, these products will, in the near future - "in a month or two" - fall under the scope of "semiconductor tariffs."
"All of these products fall under the category of semiconductors and will have a special tariff focus to ensure their return to production within the United States. We need semiconductors, chips, flat panels - all of this must be manufactured in America," Lutnick said on ABC's This Week program.
The Secretary added that the US cannot rely on Southeast Asia for everything that powers electronics. Therefore, although these products are now excluded from the so-called "mirror tariffs" on imports, tariffs on semiconductors are already "on the way."
Lutnick also reported that the White House will introduce "a tariff model that will incentivize" not only the semiconductor industry but also the pharmaceutical industry to move production back to the US.
"We cannot be hostages and dependent on foreign countries for the basic things that are vital to us. So this is not a permanent exemption. The President made it clear that these things are not up for negotiation with other countries. This is a matter of national security - and they need to be made in America," the Secretary of Commerce emphasized.
Exemption of electronics from tariffs
On Friday, the administration of US President Donald Trump excluded smartphones, computers, and other electronics from import tariffs. The US Customs and Border Protection Service published a bulletin listing the main electronic devices that would be temporarily exempt from the new tariffs announced as of April 2.
This means that these products are not subject to either the high tariffs on imports from China or the general 10% tariff established by Trump.
The directives came after Trump, in April, imposed a 145% tariff on products from China. This, in turn, could have impacted tech companies like Apple, which manufactures most of its products in China.
The Chinese government called the US decision to exempt part of its electronics from tariffs a small step toward correcting mistakes. At the same time, Beijing urged Washington to lift all tariffs, returning "to the right path of resolving disagreements."
