Trump confirms new tariffs on semiconductors

U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday he would announce new tariffs on semiconductors and chips "during the week" as he continues his tariff war to address U.S. trade problems.

Aboard Air Force One, Trump said that "tariffs will be put in place in the not-too-distant future," when referring specifically to the semiconductors, a sector that would follow others such as steel, aluminum and automobiles on which it has already taken similar measures. Asked what the amount of the levy would be, he replied, "I will announce it during the week."

US says exemption from tariffs on tech products may be short-lived

The recent tariff exemptions on certain technology products may be short-lived, senior U.S. officials said Sunday, as Donald Trump warns that "no one is off the hook" for his measures and China calls for the removal of the levies.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick indicated that the exemption was “temporary” and that these products would be subject to a specific tariff.

For his part, the President stated that there would be no tariff “exception” for these products, specifying that they were still subject to a 20% tax in a “different tariff category”.

"We want to make our chips and semiconductors, as well as other things in our country," Trump reiterated as he added that he would do the same for "medicines and pharmaceuticals."

The White House says the Republican tycoon remains optimistic about the possibility of reaching an agreement with the Asian power.

The two largest world economies have been engaged in a tariff war "tit-for-tat" since the U.S. president announced harsher global tariffs this month, which in the case of Chinese goods, reached 145%.

For its part, the anxious giant imposed tariffs of 125% on the United States.