Trump administration exempts phones, computers, CPUs, memory, and chipmaking tools from sweeping tariffs

Why it matters: The Trump administration has granted a reprieve to global technology manufacturers by exempting smartphones, laptops, CPUs, memory chips, and electronics to make semiconductors from its sweeping tariffs on imports – a move that could ease pressure on companies like Apple and Nvidia while offering relief to consumers. The exclusions, published late Friday by US Customs and Border Protection, narrow the scope of Trump's aggressive trade measures by sparing these products from the 125 percent China-specific tariff and the baseline 10 percent tariff imposed on nearly all other countries. The exemption list includes popular consumer electronics such as smartphones, laptops, hard drives, memory chips, and flat-screen displays – items predominantly manufactured outside the United States. Analysts say this decision marks a significant softening in Trump's ongoing trade conflict with China, which has roiled global markets and triggered a stock selloff. "This is a large hole i ... Read full article.