US tariffs on China won't affect your phones or TVs – CNET
US tariffs on China won’t affect your phones or TVs
The Trump administration announces 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods.
The Trump administration is going after Chinese products.
Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesUS consumers concerned that a trade war with China could mean higher prices for smartphones and televisions can breathe a sigh of relief.
The Office of the US Trade Representative on Friday said that $50 billion worth of Chinese goods with “industrially significant technologies” will be subject to 25 percent tariffs. The announcement included the list of 1,102 Chinese products affected by the tariffs.
The tariffs underscore the tension between China and US over trade negotiations, a back-and-forth that somehow roped in Chinese smartphone maker ZTE. The tariffs are part of the US response to China’s policies and practices that require foreign companies to hand over trade secrets involving technology, intellectual property and innovation, the US government said.
“We must take strong defensive actions to protect America’s leadership in technology and innovation against the unprecedented threat posed by China,” US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a statement. “China’s government is aggressively working to undermine America’s high-tech industries and our economic leadership through unfair trade practices and industrial policies.”
The first set of tariffs affects $34 billion worth of imports from China and goes into effect on July 6. The second set, worth about around $16 billion, will undergo further review, including a public hearing.
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