US President Donald Trump’s administration has temporarily exempted smartphones, computers, and other key electronics from its sweeping “reciprocal tariffs” — offering major relief not only to US tech giants like Apple Inc and Nvidia Corp, but also to critical players across Asia’s electronics supply chain, particularly in China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan.
The exclusions, published Friday by US Customs and Border Protection, carve out a significant list of consumer tech products — including smartphones, laptops, processors, and flat-panel displays — from the baseline 10% global tariff and the steep 125% levy targeting Chinese imports.
This development, although possibly short-lived, marks the first notable easing in Washington’s intensifying trade confrontation with China. The exemptions are backdated to April 5 and cover approximately US$390 billion in US imports, including more than US$101 billion from China, according to US trade data analysed by Gerard DiPippo of the Rand China Research Center.
Asia’s Supply Chains Still at Risk
While the tariff reprieve is welcome news for global tech firms, Asian exporters remain wary. China alone accounts for over US$41 billion of the US’s smartphone imports and more than US$36 billion in computers — much of it produced through deeply intertwined regional supply networks involving Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia.
“This is a large hole in the US tariff wall that will spare key firms like Apple and consumers of laptops and phones from sticker shock,” DiPippo said. “But many other Chinese-made consumer, intermediate, and capital goods remain exposed to prohibitively high US tariffs.”
Although the move provides breathing room for firms like Foxconn, TSMC, Samsung, and Pegatron — which manufacture and assemble components across China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia — many analysts warn the exemptions may simply pave the way for new sector-specific tariffs, particularly targeting semiconductors.
China: Both Target and Backbone
While Trump’s administration says the US can no longer rely on China to produce “critical technologies,” the reality of Asia’s manufacturing dominance tells a different story.
The exemptions notably include semiconductor manufacturing tools — essential for chip production — from firms like ASML (Netherlands) and Tokyo Electron (Japan). These tools support multibillion-dollar factory builds by TSMC, Samsung, and Intel under the 2022 Chips and Science Act.
Also excluded are AI infrastructure products, such as GPUs and servers — largely assembled in Taiwan and Mexico — used by Nvidia and other firms. However, these firms still rely heavily on Chinese supply chains for key components and final assembly.
While Apple and Nvidia may breathe easier for now, China remains central to global tech production, and the pressure on companies to “reshore” manufacturing to the US is already proving unrealistic. Industry sources note the deep-rooted nature of Asia’s electronics ecosystem, which cannot be replicated overnight.
Uncertainty Lingers
Despite resistance from within Trump’s White House, the tech sector’s lobbying power seems to have influenced the exemptions. Yet, this relief is widely seen as temporary — laying the groundwork for new targeted tariffs on semiconductors and high-tech components.
A forthcoming investigation into semiconductor imports is expected to precede another round of sectoral tariffs. These could hit both chips and end-products containing them, raising stakes for companies across Asia and global supply chains.
While the current exemptions do not extend to Trump’s separate 20% fentanyl-related tariff on Chinese goods, nor to legacy levies from his previous term, the message is clear: the US-China tech decoupling is accelerating, and Asia’s role in the global tech economy is under increasing scrutiny.
Representatives from Nvidia and ASML declined to comment, while spokespeople from Tokyo Electron and the US Trade bodies did not immediately respond.
