Tariff Relief for Electronics Is Not Permanent, Warns U.S. Commerce Chief

Temporary relief from U.S. tariffs on consumer electronics may soon come to an end, as the federal government shifts focus toward revitalizing domestic semiconductor manufacturing.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed Sunday that the recent tariff exemptions for products such as smartphones, computers, and other electronics will not be permanent. In an appearance on ABC’s This Week, Lutnick said new tariffs specifically targeting semiconductors are expected within the next one to two months.

“These electronics are all fundamentally tied to semiconductors,” Lutnick stated. “They’ll be subject to a focused tariff strategy that supports reshoring efforts.”

The impending tariffs are part of a broader initiative to strengthen national security by boosting U.S.-based production of vital components like microchips and flat panel displays — sectors long dominated by Asian suppliers.

The announcement follows a late-Friday notice from U.S. Customs and Border Protection that temporarily excluded a wide range of consumer electronics from tariffs under President Trump’s broader trade measures announced earlier this month.

Still, Lutnick made clear that the White House intends to include those same products under a narrower, industry-specific tariff regime aimed at critical supply chains.

“We need chips, we need flat panels — and we need them made here,” he said.

The crypto market reacted swiftly to the news. Bitcoin briefly dipped about 1% on headlines quoting Lutnick before rebounding to the $84,000 level. Meanwhile, the broader CoinDesk 20 (CD20) index posted a 1.6% decline over the past 24 hours.