US delays tariffs on some Chinese-made electronics until December 15th
The 10 percent levy won't be applied to mobile phones and game consoles just yet.
The Trump administration announced a tariff earlier this month on an additional $300 billion of Chinese imports that was to take effect from September 1st, but the 10 percent levy will only kick in then for about half of the goods. The tariff on others -- including mobile phones, laptops, monitors, game consoles, some toys and LED lamps -- is set to be enforced from December 15th.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative said it was adjusting the schedule for some products following its public comment and hearing process. The move may afford retailers more time to import items they need for back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons before the tariff on those products takes effect.
Some US businesses and community groups have said the trade war with China is damaging them -- they may be forced to charge consumers more for tariff-affected goods. The US and China haven't made much progress on a trade deal since talks stalled in May.
Meanwhile, categories the tariff will apply to from next month include coin-operated arcade machines, various types of watches, record players and "portable battery-operated electronic readers for recording text, still images or audio files." However, several types of batteries and some storage devices are included on the list, so some electronics could still rise in price from next month.
