Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
PC Gamer
PC Gamer
Jeremy Laird

Trump administration exempts phones and most computing hardware from tariffs and then says they're not really exempt, just being lined up for a very special tariff 'bucket' of their own

US President Donald Trump holds a chart as he delivers remarks on reciprocal tariffs during an event in the Rose Garden entitled "Make America Wealthy Again" at the White House in Washington, DC, on April 2, 2025. .

On Friday, the Trump administration exempted smartphones and a load of other computing related hardware from the monstrous 145% tariffs being applied to goods from China. But by Sunday, the President already seemed to be winding back on the winding back, explaining on Truth Social that there were no exemptions, it's just those product classes were being moved to a new tariff "bucket". Sorry, what?

In short, it's pretty much impossible to keep up with the tariff chaos of late. But here's how things stand in the very moment these words are being written and how it all applies to the PC, at least as much as anyone can say.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.