A new $200 billion round of tariffs on Chinese goods could have some broader implications for U.S.-based hardware companies. New government rulings on the Trump-imposed tariffs single out a couple of key devices buy name, including the Apple Watch, Fitbit trackers and Sonos speakers.
Products like smartphones have thus far been unimpacted by fees leading to product price spikes, but other electronics could potentially be hit, due to what Reuters deems “an obscure subheading of data transmission machines in the sprawling list of U.S. tariff codes.”
That’s among the 6,000+ codes cited by the White House’s proposed tariffs. That could mean upwards of a 10 percent tariff on popular products, including the Apple Watch, Fitbit Charge and Surge and the Sonos Play:3, Play:5 and SUB.
While Trump reportedly told Tim Cook that Chinese tariffs wouldn’t impact the iPhone, it seems the promise didn’t apply across the company’s product lines. In order to not be impacted, manufacturers could potentially attempt to have products classified under a different code or apply for an extension.
Trump’s protectionist approach to trade has already impacted some U.S. industries. Last month, Harley-Davidson — a company he insisted would benefit — opted to move production overseas to avoid steep E.U. tariffs, stating that the move “is not the company’s preference, but represents the only sustainable option to make its motorcycles accessible to customers in the E.U. and maintain a viable business in Europe.”
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