Americas

Americas

Commerce secretary says tariff exemption on electronics isn't permanent

13 April 2025 22:00 (UTC +04:00)

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says the tariff exemption on a wide range of electronics, including semiconductors and smartphones, will be temporary, APA reports citing CNN.

Tariffs targeting specific business sectors will be imposed in the next couple months on certain products key to national security, which will be “not available for negotiation,” Lutnick said today on “ABC This Week.”

“Those products are going to be part of the semiconductor sectoral tariffs, which are coming,” the commerce secretary said, referring to the electronics covered by the exemption.

“Semiconductors and pharmaceuticals will have a tariff model in order to encourage them to reshore,” he said. “We need our medicines, and we need semiconductors and our electronics to be built in America. We can’t be beholden and rely upon foreign countries for fundamental things that we need.”

Pressed why the administration made the move to exempt certain electronics from the reciprocal tariffs, Lutnick said the exemption will be temporary.

“These are included in the semiconductor tariffs that are coming, and the pharmaceuticals are coming. Those two areas are coming in the next month or two. So, this is not like a permanent sort of exemption,” Lutnick added.

Lutnick, who earlier this week said he had not been engaging with Chinese officials directly, said he believes Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping “will work this out” and Trump will secure a good result for the US.