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No tariff exemption is being extended to smartphones and other electronic products manufactured in China.
President Donald Trump made the announcement on Sunday, clarifying that such items are instead being shifted under a different tariff policy.
The announcement came in contrast to a notice issued earlier by US Customs, which stated on Saturday that the elevated tariffs would not take effect even if goods such as mobile phones, computers and semiconductors were imported from China.
Within 48 hours, however, Trump offered a conflicting message.
He denied that tariff exemptions had been granted for these products.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump asserted that no exemptions had been approved for any product, dismissing reports of such notices as “fake news”.
On Sunday, senior US officials indicated that the affected products would fall under what they called the “semiconductor tariff,” and suggested that Trump would provide a more detailed explanation in the coming days.
Trump added in his Truth Social post that all sources of electrical goods, including semiconductors, would be scrutinised in light of national security concerns.
“We are taking a look at Semiconductors and the WHOLE ELECTRONICS SUPPLY CHAIN in the upcoming National Security Tariff Investigations," his post read.
Meanwhile, US Commerce Secretary Howard emphasised the administration’s goal of domestic production, saying that pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and electronics should be manufactured within the United States.
He added that the new semiconductor tariff would be layered atop a global tariff that had been temporarily suspended for 90 days earlier this month.