Trump administration announces tariffs that may make plenty of tech more expensive from August 1
(2025/07/08)
- Reference: 1751943791
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/07/08/trump_administration_reciprocal_tariffs/
- Source link:
World War Fee The Trump administration on Monday announced the tariff rates it will impose on fourteen nations starting on August 1st, and several big technology-producing nations made the list.
A White House [1]fact sheet delivered news that the administration plans 25 percent tariffs on goods from Japan, Malaysia, and South Korea, and a 36 impost on imports from Thailand.
The Register mentions those countries because they’re major sources of digital technology.
[2]
The likes of SK Hynix and Samsung manufacture memory and solid-state disks in South Korea. Intel, GlobalFoundries and Infineon produce semiconductors in Malaysia, which is a major hub for Dell. Japan’s contributions to tech supply chains are so numerous a summary can’t do them justice.
[3]
[4]
Thailand is a hub for hard disk manufacturing.
President Trump announced the tariff rates on his own social network, Truth Social, where he posted letters to heads of state that “Invite you to participate in the extraordinary Economy of the United States, the Number One Market in the World, by far.” The letters frame the tariffs as necessary to address trade deficits caused by “Tariff, and Non Tariff, Policies and Trade Barriers.”
[5]
The letters and fact sheet state that countries can avoid the new tariffs in two ways. One is moving operations to the USA, a decision the administration promises to expedite with swift approval of new manufacturing facilities on American soil.
The other is for tariffed nations to change their own trade policies in ways that make it easier for US companies to export.
[6]Tariffs and trade turmoil driving up cost and build times for datacenters
[7]Trump tariff turmoil hurting global smartphone market, but hitting US hardest
[8]Trump threatens to add formal Apple Tax on top of the 'Apple tax'
[9]Siri? Will tariffs hurt Apple? Tim Cook says brace for a $900M whack, for starters
President Trump has framed these charges as “reciprocal tariffs” and suggested they are intended to cause economic pain to nations and businesses that export to the USA so they change their ways. That’s an accurate prediction as products imported to the USA will become more expensive and therefore less attractive to US buyers – when a locally made alternative is available.
However, electronics are enormously complex devices that often include components that are only made in a handful of locations outside the USA. Plants that make such products can take years to build and bring up to speed, meaning these tariffs have the potential to increase prices for American manufacturers that import components and for stateside consumers.
Major US securities indices fell almost one percent after the administration announced the tariffs.
[10]
The administration gave the nations on its tariff list until August 1st to do a deal. The US first announced its tariff plan on April 2nd but later paused the tax rollout for 90 days to create more time for negotiations. In the time since, just two nations – Vietnam and the UK – have inked trade deals.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent used his [11]X account to predict “more countries [will] to come to the table this week and finalize their respective deals in good faith.” ®
Get our [12]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/07/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-continues-enforcement-of-reciprocal-tariffs-and-announces-new-tariff-rates/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aGyX2tU_gGdMXaiPCwuvYAAAAEA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aGyX2tU_gGdMXaiPCwuvYAAAAEA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aGyX2tU_gGdMXaiPCwuvYAAAAEA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aGyX2tU_gGdMXaiPCwuvYAAAAEA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/03/tariffs_and_trade_turmoil_driving/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/04/trump_tariff_turmoil_affecting_global/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/26/us_apple_eu_tariffs/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/02/apple_q2_2025/
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aGyX2tU_gGdMXaiPCwuvYAAAAEA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://x.com/SecScottBessent/status/1942259817709801857
[12] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
A White House [1]fact sheet delivered news that the administration plans 25 percent tariffs on goods from Japan, Malaysia, and South Korea, and a 36 impost on imports from Thailand.
The Register mentions those countries because they’re major sources of digital technology.
[2]
The likes of SK Hynix and Samsung manufacture memory and solid-state disks in South Korea. Intel, GlobalFoundries and Infineon produce semiconductors in Malaysia, which is a major hub for Dell. Japan’s contributions to tech supply chains are so numerous a summary can’t do them justice.
[3]
[4]
Thailand is a hub for hard disk manufacturing.
President Trump announced the tariff rates on his own social network, Truth Social, where he posted letters to heads of state that “Invite you to participate in the extraordinary Economy of the United States, the Number One Market in the World, by far.” The letters frame the tariffs as necessary to address trade deficits caused by “Tariff, and Non Tariff, Policies and Trade Barriers.”
[5]
The letters and fact sheet state that countries can avoid the new tariffs in two ways. One is moving operations to the USA, a decision the administration promises to expedite with swift approval of new manufacturing facilities on American soil.
The other is for tariffed nations to change their own trade policies in ways that make it easier for US companies to export.
[6]Tariffs and trade turmoil driving up cost and build times for datacenters
[7]Trump tariff turmoil hurting global smartphone market, but hitting US hardest
[8]Trump threatens to add formal Apple Tax on top of the 'Apple tax'
[9]Siri? Will tariffs hurt Apple? Tim Cook says brace for a $900M whack, for starters
President Trump has framed these charges as “reciprocal tariffs” and suggested they are intended to cause economic pain to nations and businesses that export to the USA so they change their ways. That’s an accurate prediction as products imported to the USA will become more expensive and therefore less attractive to US buyers – when a locally made alternative is available.
However, electronics are enormously complex devices that often include components that are only made in a handful of locations outside the USA. Plants that make such products can take years to build and bring up to speed, meaning these tariffs have the potential to increase prices for American manufacturers that import components and for stateside consumers.
Major US securities indices fell almost one percent after the administration announced the tariffs.
[10]
The administration gave the nations on its tariff list until August 1st to do a deal. The US first announced its tariff plan on April 2nd but later paused the tax rollout for 90 days to create more time for negotiations. In the time since, just two nations – Vietnam and the UK – have inked trade deals.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent used his [11]X account to predict “more countries [will] to come to the table this week and finalize their respective deals in good faith.” ®
Get our [12]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/07/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-continues-enforcement-of-reciprocal-tariffs-and-announces-new-tariff-rates/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aGyX2tU_gGdMXaiPCwuvYAAAAEA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aGyX2tU_gGdMXaiPCwuvYAAAAEA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aGyX2tU_gGdMXaiPCwuvYAAAAEA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aGyX2tU_gGdMXaiPCwuvYAAAAEA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/03/tariffs_and_trade_turmoil_driving/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/04/trump_tariff_turmoil_affecting_global/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/26/us_apple_eu_tariffs/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/02/apple_q2_2025/
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aGyX2tU_gGdMXaiPCwuvYAAAAEA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://x.com/SecScottBessent/status/1942259817709801857
[12] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
What does the US export?
Anonymous Coward
I'm sure I'm showing my ignorance here, but what does the United States export?
I count beef, chicken, corn -- of which much of the world doesn't want the chemical-laced product. Then I see expensive cars (Ford, three times the cost of similar vehicles in showrooms in South America), "Cloud Services" (does this not make up the bulk of the "trade" difference?), fossil fuels (exports and imports?), and software.
The United States doesn't manufacture any more, so what does it export? How are other countries supposed to ink a trade deal?
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent used his X account to predict “more countries [will] to come to the table this week and finalize their respective deals in good faith.”
Hahahaha.
That's rich, coming from the country acting in bad faith.
The irony is just too much.