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Preface
Lately, the topic of increased U.S. tariffs has been dominating the trending lists. The original intention was clear: to leverage their power in an attempt to bully us. But just because we don’t seek trouble doesn’t mean we’re afraid of it. This time, Trump has truly shot himself in the foot.
However, stubborn as he is, Trump had no intention of “making peace.” So instead, he quietly granted partial tariff exemptions. But not even 48 hours later, he rolled them back again.
What was the point of that? Was anyone forcing him to offer exemptions in the first place?
Some believe that this sudden reversal signals something bigger — that Trump is preparing to launch a heavy-handed strike against a specific sector in China.
What tariffs did Trump initially exempt, and why were they canceled in less than two days?
Trump Walks Back Tariff Exemptions
On the evening of April 11 (U.S. time), U.S. Customs announced a new decision from the Trump administration. They revised the previously imposed “reciprocal tariffs,” declaring that Chinese products would no longer be subject to the 125% tariff.
It was originally thought to be a prelude to Trump “admitting defeat,” but it turned out this change was highly selective. Only certain categories of goods were exempted — mainly electronic products like smartphones, semiconductor or flat-panel display manufacturing equipment, and monitors.
Estimates suggest that around 90% of the exempted items were electronics, with hardly any sign of other product categories. According to some reports, Trump may have realized the reality of the situation — that their so-called “reciprocal tariffs” simply result in both sides imposing more duties on each other, and in the end, there’s no real advantage to be gained.
Especially when it comes to semiconductors, it’s practically a case of the U.S. shooting itself in the foot — neither side stands to gain. That’s why the U.S. adjusted the tariffs, including those on Apple products manufactured in China.
Industry insiders explained that a large portion of the chips China imports are actually produced by American companies with operations in China, and then re-exported back to the U.S.
While the U.S. has kept its cutting-edge chip technologies within its own borders and those of its allies, the same can’t be said for traditional semiconductor manufacturing processes. They’ve kept part of it, but the other half — which remained overseas — has gradually been replaced by us.
In this context, Trump chose to step back. However, on April 13, he was still putting up a tough front, stating that these products were “not exempt from tariffs,” but instead were subject to a different set of tariffs at a 20% rate.
Both the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and Trump himself stated that the current tariff exemptions are only temporary. Trump is notoriously unpredictable — the tariffs started at 34%, then jumped to 125%. Two days ago, he talked about exemptions; two days later, he claimed they were only temporary.
Almost no one truly understands what Trump’s game plan is. People don’t even know what the rules will be five days from now, let alone five years down the road.
Now look — it’s only been two days, and Trump is already showing signs of regret. Who knows, in another couple of days he might just come out and say, “What exemption? There never was one. It’s always been the original tariff rate, I wasn’t aware of any changes.” And by then, where would we even go to argue?
So when it comes to Trump’s words and policies, it’s best not to take them at face value. This whole tariff exemption episode also gives us a glimpse of what he’s really targeting in China — or at least, where his next move might land.
When Trump claimed there was no tariff exemption, he had already revealed his intentions. The U.S. government explained that these products had simply been moved into another “tariff basket.”
In an interview, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce also stated that these products would soon be reclassified under the “semiconductor” category and would be subject to a special, targeted tariff.
Trump later added his own take, saying the U.S. shouldn’t rely on us for critical technology products. It seems they’re planning to go independent.
Some American companies have already taken action — Apple, TSMC, and others have pledged to invest trillions of dollars to build new manufacturing facilities on U.S. soil.
But semiconductors are one of China’s most critical industries. By raising tariffs now, Trump is clearly trying to make things difficult for us. At the same time, this move gives the U.S. a backup plan — on one hand, they still want to rely on us, but on the other hand, they’re provoking us. What if, out of frustration, China decides to cut them off completely?
It looks like the U.S. is already trying to reshape the global tech supply chain — and on a global scale, no less. Their goal isn’t just to develop technology for their own use, but to ensure that in such a vital sector, they hold absolute authority.
Of course, that’s the ideal vision. Whether it can actually be achieved is another matter. Sometimes, things just have to move forward one step at a time.
