Confusion as Trump tariffs temporarily exempt smartphones

US President Donald Trump’s administration has temporarily made smartphones and other electronics exempt from new tariffs that have shaken the global economy.

The move was announced in a notice from US Customs and Border Patrol which said goods such as computers, memory chips and semiconductor devices and equipment would also be exempt. Previous 20% ‘fentanyl tariffs’ remain in place, as this only applies to ‘reciprocal tariffs’.

However, Trump posted on Truth Social that “nobody is getting off the hook”. He claimed the administration is looking into the whole electronics supply chain in upcoming national security tariff investigations.

It’s not clear when tariffs will be reimposed on these goods, at what level, or when any investigations will take place and how.

The confusion comes amid the US and China’s escalating trade war, after Trump imposed 145% levies on Chinese imports in the latest tit-for-tat response.

Reuters reported that China’s Ministry of Commerce had welcomed the exemptions, calling it a “small step by the US to correct its wrong practice of unilateral 'reciprocal tariffs'”.

90-day pause on levies

Last week, hours after the introduction of varying levels of tariffs for countries around the world, the Trump administration enacted a 90-day pause on levies above 10% for most countries, excluding China.

The administration aims to negotiate at least 75+ trade deals within that timeframe as it seeks to address what it sees as trade imbalances with other countries.

Trump’s tariffs have set the global economy rocking, with shares in major games and tech companies around the world fluctuating as investors try to make sense of the levies.