The US government will exempt Apple smart watches from its tariffs on Chinese imports, Bloomberg reported. The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) had earlier exempted other Apple devices. The latest letter sent to Apple was dated 20 March. The devices were subject to a 7.5 percent tariff.
Apple had asked the USTR to also exempt the watches. The company argued that the product was a consumer electronic device and that it was “not strategically important or related to ‘Made in China 2025’ or other Chinese industrial programmes.” Apple also said it had not been able to identify a source outside of China that was able to meet US demand for the product in the coming year.
President Donald Trump imposed a 15 percent tariff in December on a list of items, including Apple smartwatches. He cut the tariffs in half as part of an initial trade deal with Beijing that went into effect on 15 February.
