Smartphones, computers, even China-made, spared from US tariffs

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration has announced a series of major exemptions to its punishing global tariffs — an apparent step back in an escalating trade war with China.

A notice late Friday by the US Customs and Border Protection office said smartphones, computers and other electronics would be excluded from the import levies President Donald Trump rolled out a week ago.

The move came as retaliatory Chinese import tariffs of 125 percent on US goods took effect Saturday, with Beijing standing defiant against its primary trade competitor.