President Donald Trump has clarified that electronics are not exempt from his new tariffs, warning that “NOBODY is getting ‘off the hook.’”
The warning comes as Trump redoubled his promise to end “unfair” trade policies once and for all.
The president confirmed that America’s trading partners are not “off the hook.”
The clarification came after his administration appeared to back away from targeting products like smartphones imported largely from China.
Trump’s reversal caused the stock market to rally Monday as confidence in tech stocks rebounded.
Companies like Apple are largely reliant on supply chains based in Asia, especially China.
The White House had initially announced Friday that products such as laptops, computer chips, and smartphones would not be subject to his sweeping “reciprocal tariffs.”
The initial reports sowed some confusion, given that electronics make up a large share of trade between the U.S. and China.
Over the weekend, Trump’s aides went on TV to explain that the exemption is temporary.
This message was later amplified by Trump on social media.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said:
“NOBODY is getting ‘off the hook’ for the unfair Trade Balances, and Non Monetary Tariff Barriers, that other Countries have used