In a spirited rebuttal to recent media interpretations, President Donald Trump responded on Friday to confusion surrounding a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) notice. This notice, released the same day, was mischaracterized by some outlets as signaling a “tariff exception” for Chinese products.
On Saturday, the former president took to Truth Social to reassert his hardline trade position regarding China. In a post, he asserted:
“NOBODY is getting ‘off the hook’ for the unfair Trade Balances, and Non Monetary Tariff Barriers, that other Countries have used against us, especially not China which, by far, treats us the worst! There was no Tariff ‘exception’ announced on Friday.
These products are subject to the existing 20% Fentanyl Tariffs, and they are just moving to a different Tariff ‘bucket.’ The Fake News knows this, but refuses to report it. We are taking a look at Semiconductors and the WHOLE ELECTRONICS SUPPLY CHAIN in the upcoming National Security Tariff Investigations.
What has been exposed is that we need to make products in the United States, and that we will not be held hostage by other Countries, especially hostile trading Nations like China, which will do everything within its power to disrespect the American People.
We also cannot let them continue to abuse us on Trade, like they have for decades, THOSE DAYS ARE OVER! The Golden Age of America, which includes the upcoming Tax and Regulation Cuts, a substantial amount of which was just approved by the House and Senate, will mean more and better-paying Jobs, making products in our Nation, and treating other Countries, in particular China, the same way they have treated us.
The bottom line is that our Country will be bigger, better, and stronger than ever before. We will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
However, Trump’s assertions appear at odds with both Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s remarks on Sunday and the CBP notice issued on Friday.
Lutnick clarified that the administration’s decision to exempt certain electronic devices from new tariffs was merely a temporary measure. He stated that these products would still face “semiconductor tariffs,” likely to be imposed within “a month or two,” as reported by ABC News.
“All those products are going to come under semiconductors, and they’re going to have a special focus type of tariff to ensure those products get reshored. We need to have semiconductors, we need to have chips, and we need to have flat panels — we need to have these things made in America. We can’t be reliant on Southeast Asia for all of the things that operate for us,” Lutnick told “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl.
“So what [President Donald Trump‘s] doing is he’s saying they’re exempt from the reciprocal tariffs, but they’re included in the semiconductor tariffs, which are coming in probably a month or two. So these are coming soon,” he added.
Howard Lutnick tells ABC that tariff exemptions for electronics are only temporary, and these items would be subject to “semiconductor tariffs” that will likely come in “a month or two”: ABC
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) April 13, 2025
The CBP message, titled “UPDATED GUIDANCE – Reciprocal Tariff Exclusion for Specified Products,” outlined how certain imported products—such as computer parts, semiconductors, and communication components—fall under a specific harmonized tariff category.
These goods are still subject to U.S. tariff policy under the Reciprocal Tariff Program initiated by Executive Order 14257. However, the notice clarified the procedures for customs entry.
Key points from the CBP notice include:
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Applicable Products:
The notice specifies a list of Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTSUS) headings and subheadings. Goods classified under these provisions are eligible for an exclusion from the newly imposed reciprocal tariffs. This exclusion is applicable for merchandise entered for consumption or withdrawn from a warehouse on or after 12:01AM Eastern Daylight Time on April 5, 2025. -
Designated HTSUS Headings:
Among the listed headings are 8471, 8473.30, 8486, and several others spanning various parts of the electronics and semiconductor sectors. The detailed list ensures that importers can precisely determine which products qualify for the tariff exclusion. -
Filing Procedures and Codes:
Importers are instructed to report the secondary classification under heading 9903.01.32 when declaring the tariff exception. The notice further provides alternatives for products classified under other specified headings, laying out a clear framework for compliance. For goods already in transit or held in CBP custody, filers must correct their entries within 10 days of release to reflect this exception. -
Refunds and Protests:
For shipments where the tariff has been paid, the notice explains that importers have the option to request a refund. This can be done either by filing a post-summary correction for unliquidated entries or by initiating a protest for liquidated entries where the liquidation is not final due to ongoing protest periods.
During an interview with Maria Bartiromo, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller helped clarify the confusion surrounding Trump’s tariff strategy.
WATCH:
‘TRUMP FOLDED’ DEBUNKED: Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller notes that the ORIGINAL PLAN was for Trump to handle imports of semiconductors, computers, etc., DIFFERENTLY when it came to tariffs than other products.
“President Trump had a detailed plan from the beginning… pic.twitter.com/tjDJzzsVEt
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 13, 2025
