Smartphones and other devices currently exempt from Trump’s April 9th tariffs will be subject to duties on semiconductors in “a month or two,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in an interview.
Lutnick told ABC News anchor Jonathan Karl that the electronics industry would be subject to “a special focus type of tariff” similar to automotive tariffs already issued, with the goal of encouraging manufacturers to “reshore, to be built in America.”
The Trump administration had released updated guidance on Friday excluding smartphones, laptops, and other products from the new tariffs, including a 125 percent additional levy on Chinese-produced goods. Lutnick clarified that this exemption was not permanent.
When asked if the new tariffs would include products like iPhones, Lutnick confirmed that they would, and that the aim is to encourage domestic manufacturing. He cited Panasonic’s new EV plant in Kansas as an example of successful domestic production.
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On Sunday, Trump stated that there was no tariff “exception” announced and that officials would be examining the entire electronics supply chain in upcoming National Security Tariff Investigations. He also said that the tariff rate on imported semiconductors would be announced “over the next week,” with flexibility for some products.
