April 13 (UPI) — A Trump administration official said Sunday that tariff exemptions on cell phones and other electronic devices are only temporary, adding to an already confusing situation around the United States’ economic policy.
“Electronics are exempt from the reciprocal tariffs, but they’re included in the semiconductor tariffs, which are coming in probably another month or two,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on ABC ‘This Week’ Sunday.
It’s the latest in a series of actions on tariffs which have left domestic economic policy murky and prompted a wave of bargaining efforts by some countries looking to protect their international trading interests with the United States.
Lutnick said Sunday that tariffs on specific sectors of the economy key to national security are not up for negotiation, and added that electronics, such as smartphones, iPhones, and laptops will face separate levies. He said those tariffs are “not available for negotiation.”
“NOBODY is getting off the hook,” President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social later Sunday.
Customs and Border Protection issued a release Friday exempting the U.S. from 145% tariffs on electronic goods imported from China, but it was not clear how long that pause would last.
Trump’s critics have said the confusing surrounding tariffs and the policy itself amount to “chaos and confusion.”
“Investors will not invest in the United States when Donald Trump is playing ‘red light, green light’ with tariffs and saying, ‘Oh, and for my special donors, you get a special exemption,” Warren said on CNN’s “State of the Union” program Sunday.
The uncertainty over trade tariffs prompted volatility in U.S. markets last week, punctuated by an 1,100 point loss in the Dow Jones Industrial Average Thursday but numbers whipsawed all week on the on-again-off-again levy uncertainty.
