US CBP Exempts Smartphones, Computers, Semiconductors from 145% China Tariffs — But Lutnick Signals 'Short-Lived'

Late on April 11, US Customs and Border Protection published a tariff exclusion notice carving smartphones, laptops, tablets, computers, semiconductor chips, GPU processors, solid-state drives, and flat-panel display modules out of the 145% reciprocal tariffs on Chinese goods — providing emergency relief to US tech companies whose supply chains depend heavily on Chinese manufacturing. The exemption is effective retroactively for goods entering the US or removed from warehouses starting April 5, 2026. The carve-out immediately benefited Apple, Dell, HP, and other electronics OEMs: an iPhone 16 Pro Max that could have cost $1,874 under full 145% tariffs returns to approximately $1,350 (still reflecting the 20% fentanyl tariff that remains in place). Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, in a Sunday morning television appearance, described the exclusions as 'short-lived' and said the administration is preparing 'sectoral tariffs' specifically designed to pressure reshoring of semiconductor and electronics manufacturing to the US — likely within 'a month or two.' Trump, in conflicting social media posts, simultaneously claimed 'there are no exceptions' while the CBP notice was publicly available. The exemption covers approximately $100B in annual Chinese electronics exports to the US. For Chinese tech companies, the exemption provides partial relief — it prevents the complete collapse of electronics export channels to the US — but does not remove the broader 145% tariff burden on non-electronics categories including industrial equipment, EV batteries, solar panels, and steel. China's Ministry of Commerce described the exemption as 'a small step in the right direction' while urging the US to completely cancel all reciprocal tariffs.