U.S. Commerce Secretary Clarifies Electronics Tariff Exemptions Are Temporary

Electronics recently spared from U.S. tariffs may soon face fresh import duties, as the federal government pivots toward policies aimed at reshoring critical tech manufacturing.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Sunday that exemptions granted earlier this month for electronics like smartphones and computers are only temporary. A new wave of tariffs, specifically designed to target semiconductor-related products, is expected within the next 30 to 60 days.

“Those products will fall under a new semiconductor-focused tariff structure,” Lutnick said in an interview on ABC’s This Week. “It’s about bringing production back to America.”

The White House aims to reduce reliance on Asian suppliers by incentivizing domestic production of key components such as chips and flat panel displays, which officials now view as essential to national security.

Lutnick’s comments follow a Friday bulletin from U.S. Customs and Border Protection that temporarily excluded a wide range of electronics from tariffs outlined in President Trump’s latest trade measures. That exemption, however, is now set to expire under a more targeted policy framework focused on safeguarding the tech and pharmaceutical supply chains.

“We can’t afford to outsource semiconductors anymore,” Lutnick emphasized. “These components need to be made in the U.S.”

Markets showed immediate sensitivity to the news. Bitcoin dropped nearly 1% in early trading after Lutnick’s remarks but quickly rebounded to hover around $84,000. The broader crypto market, as tracked by the CoinDesk 20 (CD20) index, fell roughly 1.6% over the last 24 hours.

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