Breaking: Trump Exempts Phones, Laptops From Tariff War

Just yesterday, I posted a video and article discussing the escalating impact of tariffs on electronics, noting how they were beginning to affect both pricing and availability. We saw OnePlus increase the price of their Watch 3 in the U.S. from $329 to $499, and hardware OEMs like Framework and Razer halting sales of certain items. Framework explicitly cited tariffs as the reason.

Now, breaking news: the Trump administration has exempted smartphones, computers, and other electronics from these punishing reciprocal tariffs, as reported by CBS News. This is fantastic news for American consumers.

After seeing Eric Migicovsky’s tweet about the potential massive tariff on his $149 Pebble watch revival project, I was genuinely concerned about the survival of many companies. This exemption changes everything.

According to the BBC, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol has confirmed that these electronics are now exempt from the 10% global tariffs and the 125% levies on Chinese imports. This is a significant reversal.

Why does this matter? As I mentioned before, estimates suggested that iPhone and other electronics prices in the U.S. could have tripled if these tariffs were passed on to consumers. Counterpoint Research indicates that 80% of Apple's iPhones for the U.S. market are made in China, with the remaining 20% from India, which likely faces a lower tariff rate.

It's important to understand that this relief could be temporary. We might see specific tariff rates reintroduced for these devices in the coming days, weeks, or months. This move could be an attempt to ease market tensions or a result of pressure from tech industry leaders.

It may also be that people like Mr. Tim Apple and some other big tech CEOs might have been leaning on Trump a little bit and saying “Hey buddy uh remember that money that we gave you could you not destroy our business please could you not make us raise our prices like crazy?”

While the long-term implications are uncertain, this is undoubtedly good news for consumers looking to buy electronics. However, I do feel for those who recently imported devices and paid substantial tariffs, only to find they wouldn’t have to pay them now.

My understanding is that the fears I expressed in yesterday’s video and article have been pushed back, at least for now. I remain concerned about the future, but for the moment, this is positive news for anyone looking to purchase electronics.