The following statement is attributed to Gary Shapiro, CEO and Vice Chair of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA):
The Trump Administration’s decision to exclude certain consumer tech products from tariffs is long-overdue recognition that these duties hurt U.S. consumers and the economy, something CTA has warned for over a year.
At the same time, the shift from IEEPA to Section 232 as a legal basis for tariffs reveals the Administration’s desire for a more durable justification. But claiming that downstream consumer tech products qualify as ‘semiconductors’ is a stretch.
The tech exclusion is not a permanent solution. Unpredictability is undermining long-term investment and growth. Moreover, high production costs and a limited skilled workforce make domestic manufacturing of consumer tech challenging. To support U.S. innovation and competitiveness, we need a smarter, targeted trade strategy where we team up with allies to compete with China.
For more information about CTA, visit CTA.tech.
See also: CTA’s Shapiro: Pivot or Die!
