Trump's customs policy: US exceptions for China goods shock consumers!

Trump's customs policy: US exceptions for China goods shock consumers!

USA - On April 12, 2025, the trade conflict between the USA and China has again come into focus. The authority Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has identified 20 product categories for which exceptions from the tariffs should apply. This includes the code 8471 for computers, laptops and devices for automatic data processing. Halfcord devices, memory chips and flat screens are also affected. Neither the CBP nor the presidential office have given a detailed reason for these exceptions, which indicates a certain uncertainty within the government. Experts interpret the measures as a sign that the government under Trump recognizes the possible negative effects of new tariffs on the US consumers and takes appropriate steps in order to alleviate them. A spokeswoman for the White House announced that Trump is urging the production of companies such as Apple and Nvidia to move to the USA.

This development is particularly remarkable, given the fact that many product components and materials are still imported from China. The United States is striving to reduce its dependence on China in relation to critical technologies, especially semiconductors and electronics. This could have far -reaching effects on trade and national security.

customs policy of the United States and their effects

The EU recently announced that it will put the tariffs on US products that have been exposed to US products since 2018. This shows how tense the trade relationships between the United States and the EU are, while the mutual measures since the G-20 summit in October 2021 were only exposed to March 31, 2025. A final agreement is still pending and exporters have to keep an eye on the developments.

The further customs dispute between the USA and China

The customs dispute between the USA and China has increased in intensity in the past few days. China has reacted to the US customs charges with counter-tariffs that are currently up to 145 percent. These drastic measures already lead to a significant decline in retail. For example, certain automotive products such as the Tesla models S and X can no longer be ordered for the Chinese market. Chinese buyers could be forced to switch to locally produced electrical vehicles or to obtain agricultural products from other countries.

economic experts warn that the high customs load not only affects the trade flow significantly, but also indicates that both countries do not consider any further customs increases. In the long term, the United States could have difficulty finding alternatives to Chinese goods because many products from China are not produced in the USA or are not available. The production costs in the United States are also higher, which tightens the situation. For its part, China has already built up alternative supply chains and plans to increase its exports over neighboring countries such as Vietnam to continue to operate the US market.

The economic tensions and the persistent tariffs could also lead to a slight recession in the United States from 2025, while China is expected to achieve the desired growth of five percent this year.