Apple has gained extra time to adjust to potential tariffs on chips imported from China, as any cost impact has been delayed until June 2027. Although the U.S. will impose new tariffs on semiconductor imports from China, the effective tariff rate will remain at zero for about 18 months, per a Federal Register filing. The rate will then increase starting June 23, 2027, with the exact percentage announced at least 30 days prior.
Hartley Charlton for MacRumors:
For Apple, the decision removes the near-term risk of higher import costs on a wide range of chips used across its products. While Apple designs its own A-series and M-series processors, which are manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company in Taiwan, the company continues to rely on China-based suppliers for many other semiconductor components, including power management integrated circuits, display driver chips, connectivity controllers, and various supporting logic chips embedded throughout its devices. Many of those components would fall within the scope of the China-specific semiconductor tariff once the rate increases in 2027.
The decision to delay new tariffs for at least 18 months signals that the Trump administration is seeking to cool any trade hostilities between the U.S. and China.
Additional tariffs could also become a bargaining chip if future talks break down.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping reached a truce in the so-called trade war in October, as part of a deal that included the U.S. slashing some tariffs and China allowing exports of rare earth metals.
The tariffs are separate from other duties threatened by the Trump administration on Chinese chip imports under Section 232 of the law.
MacDailyNews Take: More clarity means more fuel for a booming economy on 2026!
Please help support MacDailyNews — and enjoy subscriber-only articles, comments, chat, and more — by subscribing to our Substack: macdailynews.substack.com. Thank you!
Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.
