After meeting with the leading CEO, the Donald Trump administration quietly made a new arrangement with tariffs, which could be positive! Details are here

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has released updated tariff guidance to confirm that 20 product categories will be exempt from the newly implemented “mutual obligations” under the US Harmonized Customs Schedule (HTSUS).

The decision follows a memorandum signed by President Donald Trump amid rising trade tensions with China.

The exemption covers a wide range of technology-related products, including integrated circuits (HS 8542), smartphones (HS 8517.13.00), flat panel display modules (HS 8524), computers and components (HS 8471, 8473.30), and semiconductor manufacturing equipment (HS 8486). Other electronic products are also exempted, such as solar cells, flat panel television displays, flash drives, and memory cards.

The guidance comes after Trump announced earlier this month that he would wipe out 145% tariffs on Chinese imports. This sent shockwaves into the tech sector, poses a great risk to companies such as Apple that rely heavily on Chinese manufacturing.

Industry analysts call the exemption a major victory for the tech sector. According to Evercore ISI, 80% of Apple’s iPads and more than half of Mac computers are made in China. The new exemption effectively protects Apple and other tech giants from the complete brunt of tariff hiking.

“This is a dream scenario for high-tech investors,” Dan Ives, global technology research director at Wedbush Securities, told CNBC. “The exclusion of smartphones and chips is a game changer when it comes to Chinese tariffs.”

Ives said the tariffs are “dark clouds” hanging in the technology sector. “There was no sector that was more injured than big tech. I think in the end, the CEO of Big tech had to speak up and the White House had to listen.

Although the current exemptions provide temporary relief, the guidance points out that these products may still face duties in the future, but additional obligations are expected to be significantly lower than the initial 145% rate.

*This is not investment advice.