Trump Commerce Chief says “not like a everlasting sort of exception” for telephones, computer systems

The candidate of the US trade secretary, Howard Lutnick, speaks in the inauguration of Donald Trump's second presidential period in Washington, USA, January 20, 2025 at Capital One Arena.

Mike Frisch | Reuters

Howard Lutnick from President Donald Trump suggested on Sunday that mutual tariff exceptions for some electronics could be short -lived and said separate tariffs for these products “soon”.

“You are freed from mutual tariffs, but you are recorded in the semiconductor tariffs that will probably come for a month or two,” said Lutnick on Sunday in ABC News' this week.

Lutnick's comments put cold water in the hope that popular technical products that were produced in China, such as computers, laptops, smartphones and flat panel TVs, of Trumps 145% mutual tariffs that increase the prices for US importers and generally pass on to consumers.

The US customs and border protection on Friday evening announced exceptions for smartphones, computers and other technical equipment and components from its mutual tariffs.

Lutnick emphasized on Sunday that the United States “cannot be obliged and can be rely on abroad in order to rely on fundamental things we need to rely on the countries”.

“So that's not like a permanent kind of exception. [Trump’s] Only to make it clear that these cannot be negotiated by countries, ”he said on Sunday.

Lutnick added: “These are things that are national security that we need to be done in America.”

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The exception of mutual tariffs at least initially had a sigh of relief for technology companies, also for Tech companies, including Applewhich many of its products produce in China.

However, the democratic Senator Cory Booker from New Jersey said that the confusion by the reversal of the Trump government on Friday about mutual tariffs about electronics from China and his sudden call on Wednesday for a 90-day break during the implementation of new tariffs in other countries is harmful in the USA

“President Trump now has a credibility crisis,” he said in an interview on Sunday in NBC News' “” Meet the press “. “We hear from all over the world. People just don't know if they can trust him.”