The US president states that there are no tariff exemptions for electronic goods, but they belong to a different category.
US President Donald Trump has asserted that no one is “getting off the hook” after he appeared to ease the pressure on China slightly by outlining tariff exemptions for electronic products that Beijing exports significantly to the United States.
In the latest twist from the Trump administration regarding the global trade war, the president declared on Sunday that there was “no Tariff ‘exception’”, as smartphones, laptops, and other items would still incur a 20 percent rate within a “different Tariff ‘bucket’”.
“We will not be held hostage by other countries, particularly hostile trading nations like China,” he stated in a post on his Truth Social platform.
Trump indicated he would provide “very specific” details on Monday, while US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick mentioned that semiconductor tariffs would likely be implemented “in a month or two”.
Trump also noted that pharmaceutical products would “also be outside the reciprocal tariffs,” a term used by the administration for tariffs aimed at rectifying all US trade imbalances.
As tit-for-tat exchanges escalate, US tariffs on China have surged to 145 percent, while Beijing has retaliated with a 125 percent band on US imports.
Initially, Beijing welcomed Washington’s exemptions, regarding them as a “small step” forward, insisting that the Trump administration should “completely cancel” the entire tariff strategy.
With Trump’s recent statements, that may now seem premature, leaving the world’s two largest economies entrenched in a contentious conflict.
The US president has shaken financial markets by announcing extensive import taxes on numerous trade partners, only to suddenly declare a 90-day pause for most of them.
The White House claims Trump remains hopeful about reaching an agreement with China, although administration officials have indicated they expect Beijing to initiate contact first.
