Tariff Talk

The list of items excluded from the reciprocal tariffs grew over the weekend to include personal computers and laptops, semiconductor manufacturing machinery, smartphones, modems, memory devices, and an array of chips. The associated HTS for these items have been added to Annex II, providing relief under HTS 9903.01.32. This exclusion is considered retroactive to the April 5 start of reciprocals.

“Those products are going to be part of the semiconductor sectoral tariffs, which are coming … We need to have these things made in America,” said Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.

Making the Sunday talk show circuit, the messaging was that the relief is short term, and to anticipate further tariffs on semiconductors through ITC (International Trade Commission) Section 232 investigations. Pharmaceuticals are anticipated to follow similar workflows.

“When the President issued his reciprocal tariffs, our government at the time specifically said that chips and semiconductors, which are critical components of our national security, were going to be dealt with through a separate Commerce authority known as a 232. That was always the plan because those components are so essential to our national security. We need to have a separate process for dealing with how to reshore those essential industries … There are no exemptions,” stated White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.

OCEANAIR continues to monitor exclusions and other updates to tariffs. Reach out to your sales contact or compliance@oceanair.net with any questions.