The baseline tariffs remain, specifically as they pertain to China. However, in a move to diminish public backlash President Trump has now exempted the majority of consumer electronics from the 125% reciprocal tariff levy.
The types of electronic and computer systems exempted, as announced by U.S Customs & Border Protection, Cargo Systems Messaging Service [DATA HERE], is extensive. The machines used to make semiconductors will also be exempt.
All of the following products are now exempt from the larger global tariffs, including the tariffs in place against China:
•Computers (laptops, desktops, servers) •Workstations •Computer systems •Keyboards •Mice •Hard drives •Memory modules (RAM) •Power supplies •Computer motherboards •Graphic cards •Semiconductor manufacturing equipment: •Photolithography machines •Etching and doping machines •Wafer handling robots •Cleanroom systems used in chip fabrication Used by companies like TSMC, Intel, and Samsung in chip production. •Smartphones •Mobile phones with data transmission capabilities •Devices like iPhones, Android phones, and similar mobile communication devices •Wireless routers •Network switches •Modems (cable, DSL, etc.) •VoIP equipment •Communication hubs •Internet gateway devices •USB flash drives •SSDs (solid-state drives) •Memory cards (like SD, microSD) •Other flash storage devices used in everything from laptops to cameras and game consoles. •Individual solar cells, unassembled •Photovoltaic cells assembled into modules or panels, with or without bypass diodes •Custom or specialty solar panels •Microprocessors (CPUs, SoCs) •Memory chips (RAM, Flash, etc.) •Logic ICs, analog ICs, mixed-signal ICs •Specialized application chips (ASICs, GPUs, AI chips) •Widely used in all electronics: smartphones, laptops, vehicles, appliances, industrial controls •All types of LEDs [SOURCE]
The exemption announced April 11th is retroactive back to April 5th. According to the announcement, companies who imported during the window of tariffs may request a refund due to changes in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS).
This is a major appeasement move to both the Communist Party of China (Beijing) and corporate tech titans like Apple.
There is no other honest framework to view this, other than President Trump retreated fearing backlash from corporate donors, Silicon Valley allies and the broader system of adverse politics. The administration will try to spin this, but it is a really bad look.
Elon Musk won the argument, defeating Peter Navarro, Howard Lutnick, Scott Bessent and Stephen Miller. I was wrong. Obviously, Elon Musk has the most power and influence in the administration.
“NOBODY is getting “off the hook” for the unfair Trade Balances, and Non Monetary Tariff Barriers, that other Countries have used against us, especially not China which, by far, treats us the worst! There was no Tariff “exception” announced on Friday. These products are subject to the existing 20% Fentanyl Tariffs, and they are just moving to a different Tariff “bucket.” The Fake News knows this, but refuses to report it. We are taking a look at Semiconductors and the WHOLE ELECTRONICS SUPPLY CHAIN in the upcoming National Security Tariff Investigations. What has been exposed is that we need to make products in the United States, and that we will not be held hostage by other Countries, especially hostile trading Nations like China, which will do everything within its power to disrespect the American People. We also cannot let them continue to abuse us on Trade, like they have for decades, THOSE DAYS ARE OVER! The Golden Age of America, which includes the upcoming Tax and Regulation Cuts, a substantial amount of which was just approved by the House and Senate, will mean more and better paying Jobs, making products in our Nation, and treating other Countries, in particular China, the same way they have treated us. The bottom line is that our Country will be bigger, better, and stronger than ever before. We will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114332337028519855
It seems Sundance may be wrong about being wrong, based on originally wrong information.
Clarification of Exceptions Under Executive Order 14257 of April 2, 2025, as Amended
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/clarification-of-exceptions-under-executive-order-14257-of-april-2-2025-as-amended/
Of the newly exempt stated products, what % is that of all China goods imported to the USA? 10%? 30%? Say 30%.
Leaves 70% still tariffed at 125%.
OK, so what. Next.
The value is more important than the volume. If this 30% represents 80% of the value of Chinese exports, then the impact on China is greatly diminished.
It only makes sense if during this time the consumer electronics companies shift production out of China.
A big part of what makes President Trump, and his actions so “Historical” as in History making, is that he is in unchartered territory, where there are no parrallels, no rhyming even.
Everything about his acsent to the Presidency and actions since, is UNPRECEDENTED.
NOTHING really compares, nothing is analagous even.
Some “flyong by the seat of his pants, both ib his actions and his alliances, is to be expected.
Frankly, when he chose JD Vance as his VP, I think he pretty much threw his lot in with the Tech bros, when he brought Elon in to run Doge, that sealed the deal.
Think of it as being like the U.S. forming an alliance with the Soviets to defeat the Axis, if it makes you feel better.
posted to wrong thread, can’t delete, so ignore.
While posts cannot be deleted (except by Admins), you can within a certain time edit posts.
What I do with posts entered in error is to edit them down to a period only (.), or to an errata statement.
And please post it where you intended to. You have a Yuge bank account (at least with me) of forgiveness. Always love your contributions
yeah but its worth the second read Clarity is a real virtue,
Well, no one has bashed JD in awhile and he gets thrown under the bus on this. I guess Matt Gaetz ain’t getting it anymore for removing the traitor Kevin McCarthy.
I have no idea the reasons or rationale for these moves, or who’s more powerful than whom within the administration.
What I certainly DO know is that cell phones and many electronic devices cannot be suddenly transferred back to American manufacturing without extensive use of robotics and a cheap supply chain of materials. Neither are options within that space. Cheap practically slave labor enables these products to succeed. And Americans LOVE their iPhones and various android products. Jack those up by an extra $1000 and you’ll have the wrath of everyone coming down.
what is missing in this discussion is any mention about what President Trump has “suggested” as a way for Apple to steer more manufacturing toward on shore US based jobs.
that is what bothers me here. First, it was we are going to do this tariff to bring equity to a unfair trade balance with China. then it was we are going to bring jobs back to America and get chip foundries kickstarted.
dropping the tariffs and no mention of how to make it advantageous for Apple/foxconn to restore is missing here and I find that annoyingly obvious.
God Bless America
It’s in the video clips posted by Sundance.
Not only are the points you make true, so that the product is cheaper to produce, the value is further discounted because they WANT us to have our cell phones; be dependent on them, unable to live without them.
The powers that be probably would pay us big money to use them: They get invaluable data, build personal profiles on us, track us, brainwash us, find our brainwashable vulnerabilities.
In addition, we are so dependent on them to operate many other things, that, but shutting all of our cell phones off, they could shut down the economy.
I would be able, thanks to creeping two-factor authentication despite my efforts to avoid it, to write prescriptions, sign in to most medical software, do banking, order products, communicate with most of my network of people, access passwords, find information, access my calendar. I have some backup systems, but the rollout over the years has resulted in me being more and more dependent. Many employers/contractors give me no choice — they not only need/expect/demand that I operate by cell phone, but for security purposes, I had to share credit score records, license information, and many other personal pieces of ID.
I have tried for over 5 yrs to get a POTS landline phone to my property.
Every excuse under the sun has been given for why it can’t be done “at this point in time”.
People who look down their noses at cell phones while gleefully preening in front of their VOIP “landline”, that they believe does not also utilize cellular services, make me 🤣.
The world got built for cellular without our permission or input.
What else is there other than pharmaceuticals. We don’t buy their cars. That almost makes the Tariff pointless!
Who blinked?!
Start reviewing labels on everything else you purchase because most of it comes from China.
Clothing, appliances, paper products, textiles, outdoor furniture, indoor furniture, garden equipment, EVERYTHING.
amen.
This is what President Trump said about it:
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/114332337028519855
China is a complicated monster. Trump is pragmatic. Sometimes these things have to be done in steps.
I think this may be a preview of things to come with China. If this whistleblower is right about Zuckerberg and China CCP, then this is grounds for treason. The Senate did seem shocked.
one more try!
Sorry amins, cant delete. but do watch this!
When was this?
BANNON ON TRADE WAR WITH CCP: ‘One Side is Going to Win – We Can’t Be A Part of Their Economic System Based on Slave Labor’
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/04/bannon-trade-war-ccp-one-side-is-going
I’m not in Trump’s head but I don’t believe he didn’t foresee this scenario. Disappointing for so many to jump off the train. I am still in faith and confidence. We have never been in this place in the world before.
agreed
Agreed
Smoking over China and getting the truth is a lot like with Russia. I watch multiple youtube channels. Some from ex-pats living in both places with positive and negative views. Some from Chinese and Russian nationals expressing both views. Bottom line– things are not as rosy in China as the world thinks. If they were, we’d be tanking a lot less than we are. We have our problems, but Chna has theirs too. President Trump has had 4 years to game this out in Mar-a-Lago. I think he is on top of trade. When it comes to the IC, I can understand the skepticism. But trade was his wheelhouse in his first admin. I’m going to give him some rope on this decision.
PDJT responds to the uproar …
you were not wrong…you had the right idea based on the facts before you.
what is happening “in the White House” right now, is nothing short of keep your hand on your wallet kind of action.
what bothers me is the short sightedness. I mean you have all the people who are seriously in tune with what to expect. So at this point, was this just to create volatiliity….remember, crypto is basically unregulated…you can literally pump and dump in this new administration and nothing happens to you.
and yes, I am suspicious that this was all that was about.
if we do return to tarrifs, I hope at the very least Americans get something out of it.
like seriously…I’m still waiting for reduced energy and fuel costs..and it would be nice to fill at least 3 bags of groceries with a hundred bucks.
I know this isn’t going to happen over night..but if that isn’t the agenda for this administration, it sure better clean up on isle 9 right now and get it over with instead of making bold claims that anyone can easily check at the neighborhood Piggly wiggly.. love that store…almost as much as rouses.
God Bless America
Fuel and decent eggs are way too high in Florida.
Seafood is nearly matched with “unobtainium” in price and our housing market is about to sh!t the bed again.
Don’t even ask about the prime auto lending crash about to unfurl in my State.
Revisit your prep, daily..
Lawfare taking a much needed break would be helpful and the media stop talking the markets down if they can.
Stop wasting bandwidth.
So AI must be replacing all that tech stuff. I hope China is gonna be kicked to the curb. We should be going higher tech and keep it American made. We need to have our own system outside of the the World Wide Web. It’s old news.
Hopefully this tech extension is the pacifier before the purge.
We need to dump the Chinese. It was a mistake that should be rectified.
The only thing that raised an eyebrow for me was photolithography machines.
Until I remembered that the US doesn’t produce these – any more than China does.
There is only one producer of this technology globally – and it is prohibitted from selling to China.
So you don’t know what is going on either!
LMAO.
OH, NO! cat is just purfect.
“Cheeto Jesus”
That’s what I love about CTH. Even the flaming @$$&*le trolls are trolling at a high level
I have always found that Sundance calls them like he sees them. I don’t always agree with him but I never doubt his intellectual honesty.
I cannot express how sad I am that you were wrong, Sundance. I am wrong too.
This is the very last thing I wanted from this administration.
This will give the trolls more ammo to proclaim that Trump is controlled opposition – that in the end he is sellling us out and walking us into Depostism.
God bless the USA.
All I can say is, God bless Dr. Peter Navar ro. He is brilliant and has taken so much abuse and endured so many vile insults, and even gone to prison for his country.
I have read the many comments here and I can only say what some have hinted at-Trump is still the master of the deal and his understanding of world economy and politics is second to none. I have been praying for Trump’s discernment for months and I believe Trump has this thing-with help of his economic team which includes the tech folks like Musk. God is the key advisor here so let us not give up on our President .
Not even our beloved Sundance understands the big economic system as well as the master deal maker and his team of all stars. Let us give them room to move-and time!!Let us all continue to pray for Trump and team’s discernment. I certainly will be praying for them all.
I do believe this move will help turn markets around big time. The deep state has been attempting to crash the market with their strategy of massive naked options putts . T his move should deflate that effort.
>Elon Musk won the argument, defeating Peter Navarro,…
This is all Peter Navarro’s fault. All of it.
He very foolishly picked a public fight with one of the smartest persons in the country, who also works for his boss, and he did so not having actually looked at a single fact about Tesla when he was trying to throw shade on Elon. Literally every single thing he said about Tesla’s manufacturing and exposure to tariffs were incorrect. Every single one.
That puts all of his conclusions about every related matter in doubt. Even if Navarro’s point, overall understanding, and paradigm is correct (which I believe it was), he shot himself in the foot and he killed all momentum and support for it. He had a chance to help explain it to the American people. He blew it, and looked like a fool doing so.
President Trump was gravely underserved by Navarro in this. In doing so, he’s screwed us all. If Trump were to fire Navarro, it would be deserved.
What the deal with rare earth minerals?
What role will they play?
Number 1 they are not that rare just dirty to produce they are within clay and require incredible amounts of water to mine. Green is dirty and we have the best chance of making it clean. If we all put on our big boy pants we can mine our own
IMO – I’m significantly less concerned with tarrifs & their near(er) term effects, though there will be some, when I look back at what Covid did. Covid literally shut the whole world down! Threw millions out of work, jacked inflation into the stratosphere, took our freedoms, ruined peoples health & killed them (via vaxs) & much, much! The effing Dems did all that yet now they faux complain because something is going up in cost a few bucks!? Or we’re discovering billions in theft & mismanagement. Please people, let’s be pragmatic, in comparison tariffs will be a walk in the park. Fix the entire system Trump, while we have the chance. I, nay, most of us will forgo a new cell phone for awhile in support of this “country” saving endeavor. Perspective please.🇺🇸
Sundance was wrong about the wisdom of keeping the “tech bros” on our side, and not “giving them to the Chinese” as he said a few days ago.
We need to dominate AI, semiconductors, robotics, batteries, etc. Not just cars, steel, coal and oil.
There’s no way Trump didn’t anticipate this, especially with Elon in his ear.
It goes to show Americans how dependent we are on China in this sector. It will be interesting to see what else we can’t do without, but don’t manufacture ourselves.
Carry On, President Trump
I feel the same as that wise kitty cat.
If the choice for POTUS is between Trump and Sundance I’ll stick with DJT.
Hi. Yesterday night when I read your article I shared in the feeling. I still do, but after sleeping on it, hereare some nuances.
N.B. Comment induced by Ron Unz, who for the second time trashes tariffs. The same judgement applies to types like Lew Rockwell, who endorses Unz. Published on Parler, Pastebin https://pastebin.com/YQcvyS5C (updates).
“Funy’ money markets, barron ‘investors’ & MAGA tariffs
Nothing an intellectual likes best than to smirk. I should know, because I was one. But what makes one intellectual evolve, is to learn when he should refrain from smirking. This is one of those times. Trump is doing what’s in principle right, although not by the right expedient means. To not see this difference is to throw the baby with the bathwater. One can do that when one has no interest in the well-being of the baby. Intellectuals are arrogant bystanders, a.k.a. kibitzs, a.k.a. of the kind who have ‘no skin in the game’ worth mentioning (Taleb). The proverb says that ‘the duty of the kibitz is to shut up and to have no stinking feet’. So, there may be some truth to it…
Not in the literal sense of ‘shuting up’, of course, but in the sense of perceiving that a veneer of piecemeal knowledge about this and that is no substitute for understanding. And the understanding here, since the aftermath of the financial crisis 2008 ff, is that markets have decoupled from the economy. In other words, markets are skinnerian adaptations to monetary policy, i.e. ‘funny money’, QE and all the acronyms, having forgone their function as correctives of bad policy. Casino markets, financialization, speculation replacing valuations – these are all notions capturing the same underlying phenomenon. See the work of Robert J. Shiller. To stare at the ticker tape hoping to understand something about the world is just as futile as divination, as even greenhorn traders know.
These are the ‘markets’ in action last week. Trump, Bessent, Lutnick, Navarro were expecting the markets to reward their policy, as it should have been by right. It should have been a field day for America (the notion of ‘tariffs are taxes’ is nonsense, and I addressed in different comments, 1, 2). Contrary to that, the ‘easy money’, ‘always up’, inflationary markets freaked out like an addict put in therapy. Literally, as no retranching from risk (stocks) to safety (dollar, bonds) occurred – as it should have been normal. Instead, everything was sold (see my Xpost with charts).
We still have to understand in full the significance of this new phenomenon. My guess is that the ‘easy money’ is leaving US shores for the greener pastures of EU, where there is no end in sight to QEs: to the contrary, as Germany will remove it’s cap on debt, and the EU announced a trillion in new stimulus. As a matter of fact, these capital flows into EU were already noted in march, mostly by ‘dumb’ ETF flows. There you have it, the crowd of speculators moving where the going gets easy. Good riddance, I’d say…
Pushing out these bad, flammable, easy, funny money, call them as you wish, I think it is a very good thing. Markets would recuperate their valuation function, the dollar would regain real strenght (not as a carry trade vehicle) , inflation (always a monetary phenomenon) will reduce, a deflationary regimen will ensue (good for prices, for people, for savers, bad for debtors). What we should wish for is for the FED to stay out and for Trump to not call on them to intervene (as he always does, ‘lower the rates’!). The cleansing of monetary excesses has begun.
This is a time for the intellectual to be contrarian, to ditch the mainstream sources, prejudices, elitist biases, the vociferation of the ackmans (barrons of easy money). In effect, this means to understand what Trumps aims to accomplish. So, stay the tariff course! 🙂
*
The mistake of Trump, Bessent, Lutnick and Navarro (his two faithful lieutenants in the ‘Operation Tariffs’), in spite of the fact that they are seasoned investors (or perhaps precisely because of that, old school value investors, Buffett style) was to not understand the fundamentally distorted nature of the contemporary markets, which have long ceased being instruments of valuation (Buffett style) and watchdogs of policy (classic liberalism style). They missed the fact that markets had become inverted casinos, in which the customer (the speculator) always wins! This is what the markets/economy decoupling thesis of Robert Shiller essentially says (see his Nobel Prize lecture 2013 on ‘Speculative Asset Prices’).
Now, on Liberation Day, they were the fabled bearers of good news: but not all evangelists (εὐαγγελιστής, euangelistes, “bringer of good news”) are met with joy…. The sick markets stoned them instead. So, the tariff engineers had to back off…
It’s much like Elon Musk, doing a good thing with DOGE, and then seeing in shock his Teslas vandalized en masse. Like in Harrison Bergeron, America had its handicaps removed but the ackmans and the iphoners did not rejoice (‘the ackmans’, as Bill Ackman was both the great doom sayer about tariffs and the greeter of their evisceration; ‘the iphoners’, as Apple benefitted most from the evisceration).
So, if Trump policies will fail to succeed and the final darkness clouds America, then we know who to blame. A comedian understands that (Theo Von, Breitbart), but not the coryphaei, barrons and aristocrats of funny money markets. Because the first cares – they don’t.
*
Final thought on the ‘tariff war’.
Trump/Bessent/Lutnick/Navarro have learned the hard way the lesson that they should not expect cheers from the ‘funny money markets’ and that they are, in fact, ennemies to be contended with. They, and us, the interested observers, have to figure out how. The often used syntagm ‘tariff wars’ herein finds it’s deep and disquieting meaning…
The second lesson is that the ackmans and the iphoners work hand in hand with the CCP: their interests side with China, not the USA.
The third lesson being that a. general intellectuals such as Unz, b. libertarians ‘by the book’ such as Rockwell and the Pauls are on the same side as the globalists and the democrats. At least this should give them pause for thought. But, it doesn’t. They relish the fact that they can thrash Trump. Not cool. That pretty much rounds it up.
[Cover pic, Grok rendition of Harrison Bergeron, handicaps removed]
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