Phones and computer parts exempt from US tariffs

At the beginning of April, the Trump administration slapped a 54% tariff on imported Chinese goods. The result for Singaporean consumers was an iPhone that could increase as much as 43%. That’s $2,715 for an iPhone Pro Max that currently retails for $1,899. In the last week, the Trump administration has increased this tariff to a whopping 145%. Fortunately, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced some exemptions. These include:

• Mobile phones 

• Laptops

• Hard drives and data storage devices

• Flat-screen displays like computer monitors

• Wi-Fi routers

• Computer parts like processors, memory chips, and semiconductors 

Unfortunately, the exemptions on consumer electronics are only a temporary reprieve. Trump maintains that they will eventually move into a ‘different tariff bucket’, which means you could still end up paying through the nose to upgrade your PC. Even though consumer electronics are currently exempt from Trump’s sky-high tariffs, Singaporeans aren’t in the clear just yet. Though they may not cop the effects of a 145% tariff, an overall increase in costs could still be on the horizon.

Hannah Geremia

Digital Content Editor

Hannah Geremia is the Digital Content Editor of WhistleOut Singapore. She’s worked in consumer technology since April 2023 and has since received five award nominations in the IT journalism space. In 2024, she was a finalist for the Best New Journalist award and Best Security Journalist award at the IT Journalism Awards (The Lizzies). In the same year, she earned the Best Technical Writer award at the Consensus IT Writers Awards. Before her time at WhistleOut, she created content for SafeWise Australia. Here she wrote at length about internet safety, cyber security, and consumer tech. Before her time at SafeWise, she worked as a communication and media tutor and freelanced copywriting on the side.

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