After the U.S. government seemed to exempt iPhones, Macs and other electronics from hefty tariffs Friday, a clarification issued Sunday by President Donald Trump revealed that’s not the case.
Trump said on Truth Social that his administration did not announce a tariff exemption Friday. Instead, the “existing 20% Fentanyl Tariffs” will still apply to electronics — with higher tariffs possibly coming soon.
Nope, Trump did not exempt iPhones and Macs from reciprocal tariffs
Since taking office, President Donald Trump has threatened to slap tariffs on all major manufacturing countries with heavy import tariffs. True to his word, he announced a significant increase in import tariffs last week on goods imported from major Asian manufacturing hubs.
The president eventually backtracked, suspending the reciprocal tariffs for 90 days. China was the only exception, being hit with a hefty 145% tariff. Then, late Friday, the Trump administration announced what seemed like a tariff exemption for electronic items and semiconductors imported from China.
However — as with so much of the craziness surrounding Trump’s tariffs — that didn’t last long.
In a Sunday post on Truth Social, the president clarified that no country is getting “off the hook” for its unfair trade practices. More importantly, he said his administration did not provide tariff exemptions Friday. Electronics, TVs, semiconductors and flash drives will continue to face a 20% tariff aimed at punishing countries Trump accuses of exporting the deadly drug fentanyl into the United States.
The U.S. government is simply moving these products to a “different Tariff ‘bucket,'” Trump wrote.
Providing further clarification, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the government provided certain electronics items with only temporary exemptions. These items will become subject to “semiconductor tariffs” set to take effect within a month or two.
“All those products are going to come under semiconductors, and they’re going to have a special focus type of tariff to make sure that those products get reshored,” Lutnick said Sunday on ABC News show This Week. “We need to have semiconductors, we need to have chips, and we need to have flat panels — we need to have these things made in America. We can’t be reliant on Southeast Asia for all of the things that operate for us.”
Apple devices are safe from tariffs … for now
For now, iPhones, Macs and other electronic devices remain safe from the 10% global tariffs implemented by Trump. However, this will change in the future as the U.S. government decides on a “special focus” tariff for semiconductors.
Apple reportedly stockpiled iPhones before implementation of the proposed tariffs, which would have gone into effect last week. It could do the same over the next one or two months as the Trump administration finalizes its new semiconductor tariff.
Rajesh has been closely following and writing about the latest happenings in the world of mobile for nearly a decade now. While he prefers Android, he does not deny the superiority of Apple’s products and ecosystem.
