Apple and many companies receive bad news again

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on April 9. Photo: New York Times .

On April 13 (local time), US President Donald Trump confirmed that he would impose tariffs on phones, computers, chips and some popular electronic devices. The information was released just 2 days after his administration exempted many devices from tariffs applied globally, including China.

Mr. Trump and his aides said the exemptions were temporary, while the government prepared a series of import tariffs specifically for important technologies.

The administration is expected to make its first move toward tariffs next week, by launching an investigation to determine the impact of semiconductor imports on national security, according to the New York Times .

“Nobody is going to get away with this,” Trump tweeted. The president hinted at a broad scope of the investigation, saying the administration would “look at semiconductors and the entire electronics supply chain.”

According to Bloomberg , the move could last for weeks or even months. Until then, smartphones, computers, and chips will remain exempt from tariffs, giving companies and lobbying groups a chance to negotiate with the government.

Speaking on ABC , US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Mr. Trump could announce new tariffs in the next 1-2 months, targeting not only semiconductors but also imported pharmaceuticals.

On CNN 's State of the Union , Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, said it was “always the case” that some high-tech imports would be subject to tariffs separate from those applied broadly to other countries.

“Semiconductors are a key component in many defense devices. I don’t think this is a surprise,” Hassett added.

Previously, the exempted devices appeared in the import guidance of the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Some exempted products include computers, smartphones, modems, flash drives, etc.

Analysts say this is a “victory” for Apple and other major US technology companies, which rely on factories in China for production and assembly.

View in front of Apple store in New York (USA). Photo: New York Times .

Apple executives have even reached out to White House officials about the China tariff situation in recent days, according to people familiar with the matter. The company declined to comment.

Semiconductors have been on the tariff exemption list since April 2. However, the rapid changes in tariffs have made it difficult for businesses.

The possibility of chip tariffs is likely to “cast another cloud” over the tech industry, even as lobbying groups representing Intel and Nvidia have repeatedly urged the administration to strike a deal to lower trade barriers, according to the New York Times .

“The chaos caused by the news coming out of the White House has stunned the tech industry and investors, causing great uncertainty for companies trying to plan their supply chains, inventory and demand,” said Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives.

The story of technology products in the US becoming more expensive continues to be told. For Apple, the tariff announcements have caused the company's market capitalization to decrease by $770 billion . American consumers have even rushed to buy iPhones because of concerns that trade conflicts could push up product prices.

Source: https://znews.vn/apple-va-nhieu-cong-ty-lai-nhan-tin-du-post1545646.html