US delaying China tariffs for some items including cellphones, removing other products from list

The United States Trade Representative office said Tuesday certain items were being removed from the new China tariff list because of “health, safety, national security and other factors” while tariffs on other items would be delayed until December 15.

The products in the group that will have tariffs delayed include “cell phones, laptop computers, video game consoles, certain toys, computer monitors, and certain items of footwear and clothing,” the USTR said.

✅ The United States Trade Representative office said Tuesday certain items were being removed from the new China tariff list because of “health, safety, national security and other factors.”

✅ The USTR also announced a delay of tariffs on “cell phones, laptop computers, video game consoles, certain toys, computer monitors, and certain items of footwear and clothing,” until December 15.

✅ Separately, China’s Commerce Ministry said Vice Premier Liu had a phone call with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lightizer and U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. China said they agreed to another call in two weeks.

Apple shares traded higher on the news. Best Buy, Nike, Kohl’s and other retailers were also trading higher.

Last month, President Donald Trump announced a new round of tariffs of 10% on $300 billion of Chinese imports that eluded duties in the earlier round in May. The USTR published a list of products in May that may be subject to an addition 10% tariff and that list is now being edited to avoid health and security factors.

The USTR added that it will conduct an “exclusion process for products subject to additional tariff.”

Separately, China’s Commerce Ministry said Vice Premier Liu had a phone call with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lightizer and U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. China said they agreed to another call in two weeks.

The next round of trade talks were expected to take place in September, after the tariffs went into place.

Markets rallied on the new tariff news. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 400 points, while the S&P 500 was 1.5% higher and the Nasdaq rose 1.9%.

Uncertainty around the trade war has weighed on the markets, causing stocks to have their worst day of the year on August 5, when China let its currency weaken, crossing the 7 yuan-per-dollar threshold and said it would halt imports of agricultural goods from the U.S.

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Neal Bhai has been involved in the Bullion and Metals markets since 1998 – he has experience in many areas of the market from researching to trading and has worked in Delhi, India. Mobile No. - 9899900589 and 9582247600

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