US Customs and Border Protection announced a series of tariff exemptions, mainly covering smartphones, PCs, servers, displays, and semiconductors. The move reflects the reality that while American brands lead the high-tech industry, they still rely on foreign components in the mid-to-upstream supply chain.
The reciprocal tariff measures implemented by US President Donald Trump officially took effect at 12:01 PM Taiwan time on April 9. Taiwanese manufacturers in Southeast Asia have become severely affected, with tax rates in Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia reaching as high as 37% to 49%.
The escalating US-China trade conflict is placing consumer electronics and high-tech industries at the center of geopolitical strain. As trade barriers rise and nationalism grows, American brands such as Apple and Tesla are increasingly vulnerable in the Chinese market, facing both regulatory headwinds and shifting consumer sentiment.
The Trump administration has fully suspended its recently announced reciprocal tariffs on Taiwan, Vietnam, and Thailand for 90 days, while simultaneously increasing tariffs on China to 145%. This suspension was implemented within 24 hours of the original tariff announcement.
China is facing a 125% tariff imposed by the US due to an inability to reach consensus, placing significant pressure on related supply chain businesses. Luxshare, which assists Apple with iPhone assembly and AirPods production, recently stated during a conference call that tariffs have had minimal impact on its profits and revenues since the volume of finished products exported to the US is quite low.
Google has opened its vast network cable system to enterprises through the Cloud Wide Area Network (Cloud WAN) solution. This service allows cross-cloud connectivity with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), meeting the growing demand for advanced networking due to enterprise AI applications.
After a decade-long absence, French smartphone maker Alcatel is returning to India, partnering with Flipkart and looking for a local manufacturing partner.
Following the announcement of the reciprocal tariff policy by US President Donald Trump, South Korean companies are thoroughly reviewing their supply chains and formulating countermeasures. Enterprises with production bases in China and Vietnam may face direct impacts, raising public concern.
US's reciprocal tariffs targeting around 60 countries have sparked alarm across Asia and beyond, with Apple emerging as one of the policy's most exposed corporate giants. The tech giant's reliance on manufacturing hubs in Asia could cost it billions as average tariff rates in the region soar.
On April 7, multiple Chinese Apple suppliers responded to the Trump administration's newly announced "reciprocal tariffs." Reports from Xinhua and Sina show that many A-share listed firms downplayed their US exposure and said the policy would have minimal operational impact. They also cited diversified production and flexible strategies to manage risk.
HTC Corp. posted strong March results, driven by its expanding AR/VR business and a major licensing deal with Google. The company reportedly transferred part of its extended reality (XR) R&D team to Google and granted a non-exclusive license for select XR intellectual property.
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