The global market has been facing instability due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff policies. With the administration busy enforcing a string of executive orders, a major update has now been issued: mobile phones and computers will not be subject to the newly announced tariffs. This decision was outlined in the latest guidelines from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
This announcement, made public on Saturday evening (Bangladesh time), indicates that smartphones and computers are exempt from the new tariff rules.
Just a few days ago, Trump imposed a 145% tariff on Chinese goods entering the U.S. market. Since most Apple products—including iPhones—are manufactured in China, the high tariffs raised concerns that Apple’s prices in the U.S. might soar. To address this issue, the Trump administration has excluded mobile phones and computers from the new import duties.
According to a report by CNBC, over 80% of Apple’s products are made in China, including nearly 80% of iPads and more than half of all Apple computers.
Trump has previously expressed his desire for Apple and other tech companies to manufacture their products within the U.S. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt recently hinted at this shift, stating that Apple plans to invest $500 billion in the U.S. This raised hopes that the company would begin domestic production to offset import costs under Trump’s tariff regime.
However, the latest CBP guidelines suggest a possible shift in that strategy. This may explain the decision to exempt mobile phones and computers from the new tariffs. In addition to these, several other electronics—including solar batteries, television displays, memory cards, and semiconductors—have also been excluded from the policy. Many of these items have limited production facilities within the U.S.