New Delhi, April 14 -- In a notable climbdown, US President Donald Trump temporarily exempted smartphones, laptops, and other consumer tech from reciprocal tariffs, following escalating concerns from companies like Apple Inc. over their deep manufacturing ties with China.

The exemption came as a relief to tech majors, many of which were bracing for steep cost hikes. Without it, tariffs on electronic goods imported from China would have reached as high as 145%, potentially driving up US retail prices significantly. For instance, estimates suggest that the price of the iPhone 16 Pro Max with 1TB storage could have surged by 24-44%, putting its US price tag nearly on par with those in markets like the UK, Germany, France, and India.

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