New White House tariff exemptions for electronics could offer temporary break for tech

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET Amid uncertainty over rising costs as a consequence of steep tariffs, the White House announced an exemption for imported smartphones, laptops, chips, and other electronics. This temporary exemption would have significant implications for the US economy, which has suffered highs and lows since the announcement of new tariffs. The Trump administration had previously imposed up to 145% tariffs for imported goods from China and a minimum 10% global tariff for nearly all other countries. While the tariff on China has yet to be enacted, US consumers were riddled with concerns of price hikes that translated into a crashing stock market and panic-buying electronics. Also: Tariff war has tech buyers wondering what's next. Here's what we know The new exemption announced by the White House is temporary as a way to pause tariffs on some imported electronics, including smartphones, laptops, CPUs, memory chips, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Other electronics in ... Read full article.