US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick clarified Sunday that the recent exemption of key electronic devices from newly imposed tariffs is only a temporary measure, with new “semiconductor tariffs” expected within the next two months.
Speaking on ABC’s This Week, Lutnick said the administration’s move to exclude products like smartphones, solar cells and flat-panel displays from tariffs was part of a broader plan to push for domestic manufacturing. “All those products are going to come under semiconductors,” he said. “We need to have chips, flat panels and these components made in America.”
Lutnick said that while the administration exempted certain electronics from the reciprocal tariffs, they will soon face new levies specifically targeting semiconductor-related goods. “They’re included in the semiconductor tariffs, which are coming in probably a month or two. So these are coming soon,” he said.
The clarification comes shortly after US Customs and Border Protection temporarily spared several electronics from tariffs imposed since April 2. This included a reprieve from both tariffs on Chinese imports and the global 10% tariff announced by President Donald Trump.