WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has exempted smartphones, computers, and other electronic devices from President Donald Trump's new round of reciprocal tariffs, easing concerns about rising prices for popular tech products in the U.S.

The exemptions, released Friday evening in updated guidance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, cover electronics manufactured in China — the main target of Trump’s recently announced 125% reciprocal tariffs. Excluded items include hard drives, memory chips, semiconductors, and flat-panel displays.

The move represents a notable shift in Trump’s aggressive trade stance as tensions escalate between the U.S. and China. The administration has stated that China is not among the 75 countries currently negotiating new trade agreements with the U.S. following last week’s tariff announcements.

Trump has defended the sweeping tariffs as essential for boosting domestic manufacturing, especially in the tech sector. However, the high tariffs on Chinese imports posed a major risk for companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Samsung, all of which rely heavily on overseas production.

Apple CEO Tim Cook, who met with Trump at the White House in February and contributed $1 million to his inaugural committee, is among several tech leaders who have sought to influence the administration’s tariff policy.

Despite the exemptions, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized Saturday that Trump remains committed to reducing reliance on Chinese manufacturing for critical technologies.

“President Trump has made it clear: America cannot depend on China to produce semiconductors, chips, smartphones, and laptops,” Leavitt said. She added that Trump has secured “trillions of dollars in U.S. investments” from tech giants including Apple, TSMC, and Nvidia, all of which are accelerating plans to move production to the U.S.

While exempt from the 125% tariffs, these tech imports may still face a separate 20% duty Trump imposed in response to China's role in fentanyl production.

Semiconductors, for now, are not subject to the new tariffs, but Trump has floated the idea of introducing industry-specific levies on chips from all countries. The White House confirmed Saturday that such measures remain under review.

Trump has previously enacted universal tariffs on imports of steel, aluminum, and automobiles, all of which remain in effect. He has also signaled plans to introduce tariffs on pharmaceutical imports.

In response to recent stock market volatility, Trump on Wednesday postponed some reciprocal tariffs for 90 days. However, he maintained a universal 10% baseline tariff on all imports. At the same time, he increased overall tariffs on Chinese goods to 145%, triggering swift retaliatory measures from Beijing.