US excludes smartphones, computers from Trump’s reciprocal tariffs

The Trump administration has granted tariff exclusions for smartphones, computers and other electronics imports supplied largely by China, sparing them from much of President Donald Trump’s steep 125% duties.

In a notice to shippers, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency published a list of tariff codes that will be excluded from the duties. The exclusions are retroactively to 12:01 a.m. on April 5.

The U.S. CBP listed 20 product categories, including the very broad 8471 code for all computers, laptops and disc drives and automatic data processing. It also included semiconductor devices, equipment, memory chips and flat panel displays.

The notice did not provide an explanation for the Trump administration’s move, but the late-night exclusion provides welcome relief to major U.s. technology firms, including Apple AAPL.O Dell Technologies and countless other importers.

The move represents another step back from Trump’s maximalist tariff approach, including several escalations of his duties on Chinese goods.