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Tariffs are advertised in the name of helping American workers, but what do you know? They turn out to favor the powerful and politically connected. That’s the main message of President Trump’s decision to exempt smartphones and assorted electronic goods from his most onerous tariffs. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) late Friday issued a notice listing products that will be exempt from Mr. Trump’s so-called reciprocal tariffs that can run as high as 145% on goods from China. The exclusions apply to smartphones, laptop computers, hard drives, computer processors, servers, memory chips, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and other electronics. The CBP...

“Tariffs are advertised in the name of helping American workers, but what do you know? They turn out to favor the powerful and politically connected. That’s the main message of President Trump’s decision to exempt smartphones and assorted electronic goods from his most onerous tariffs. “All of this exposes the arbitrary political nature of tariffs. Some industries benefit but others don’t. Too bad if you make shoes, or clothing, or thousands of other consumer products that must pay the tariffs but lack the political or market clout to win exemptions. Too bad, too, if you’re a small manufacturer that relies...

The technology sector, or at least a key part of it, breathed easier on Saturday after President Trump said that various industries, including semiconductors, computer hardware, and smartphones, would be exempt from the steep reciprocal tariffs put in place this month. The reprieve, however, may only be temporary, according to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Lutnick, a key proponent of tariffs to re-spark U.S. manufacturing, provided more insight into technology sector import taxes on Sunday. His message renews uncertainty for major U.S. technology companies, including Apple, Dell, and Nvidia, which depend heavily on overseas production to keep costs low. After OpenAI's...

Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that there was “enough of an offense” to trigger congressional hearings questioning whether anyone traded improperly after President Donald Trump’s tariff announcements. Host Kristen Welker said, “Some of your Democratic colleagues are actually calling for an investigation into whether or not there was insider trading. The president saying it’s a good time to buy and then, of course, hitting the pause button on some of those tariffs. Do you believe that democrats have any real evidence that anyone in the administration profited off of the president’s policies and announcements,...

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that the Trump administration was negotiating trade policy with 130 countries. Host Jake Tapper said, “What do you say to small business owners or even big business owners who say they’re having difficulty making long-term business decisions because the country seems right now to be run by capricious whim?” Hassett said, “Oh, I don’t think at all that it’s run by a capricious whim. The way that I would think about it is that in the previous administration, you could sort of say, if you’re thinking...

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy admitted he would “absolutely” vote for the Democrats in the 2026 midterm elections if President Trump continues to rattle the economy with his sweeping tariff war. The 48-year-old, who voted for Trump in the last election, told CNN Wednesday that he would still give the commander-in-chief a chance to prove his sweeping levies — but wouldn’t rule out jumping ship if the stock market continues to flounder. Asked if he’d be willing to ditch the GOP if the market doesn’t improve, Portnoy responded: “Yeah, absolutely.” “I was never some crazy MAGA guy,” the Barstool honcho...

When his camera stopped working on his iPhone recently, New Yorker Richard Medina didn't waste any time. With the threat of tariff-fuelled price hikes on smartphones bearing down, he quickly called his phone company for a new one. "I said, 'We've got to switch this out now,'" the 43-year-old recalled. "Let's take care of it." The move was a sign of the pressure rising across the US, where households are being buffeted by what could be staggering price rises, and even possible shortages triggered by the sweeping tariffs that US President Donald Trump announced this month. Some are trying to...

Key Takeaways:Scenario 1: Hardball Negotiation (50% Probability): The tariffs are exactly what they appear to be – a negotiating tactic. Trump is trying to strong-arm America’s trading partners into better deals. What happens to stocks here? We’d expect more near-term volatility; possibly more selling over the next few days or weeks. Once deals are signed, a sharp, V-shaped recovery – and a full rebound into summer – is quite possible.Scenario 2: Tariffs As True Protectionism (30% Probability): Trump’s tariff policy is not just strategy. It’s ideology. He genuinely believes in them as a tool to reshape America’s economy, wherein tariffs...

After China reduced the number of American films that can be shown there as part of its retaliation to U.S. tariffs this week, President Donald Trump laughed it off. “I’ve heard of worse things,” he said. But his flippancy over China’s targeting of U.S. cultural exports — which are not only a source of income for Hollywood but also a projection of U.S. soft power — illustrates the myopia of Trump’s trade war.This week, as investors raced away from the dollar (it’s down about 8 percent since Inauguration Day) and dumped U.S. Treasury bonds (10-year yields climbed above 4.5 percent),...

Two widely followed Chinese public figures — one an editor for a state media outlet, the other the son of a former party chief — released identical outlines on Tuesday of countermeasures Chinese authorities are said to be considering in response to Trump's tariffs.The U.S. film industry so far has escaped direct retaliation from countries hit by President Donald Trump‘s globe-spanning tariffs, thanks to theatrical film releases and streaming platforms being categorized as services rather than physical goods. But Hollywood’s luck in China, the world’s second-largest film market, could soon run out, according to statements issued Tuesday by two influential...

The Trump administration says electronics like smartphones and laptops will be excluded from ‘reciprocal’ tariffs, a move that could help keep prices down for popular consumer electronics that aren’t usually made in the U.S. The announcement on Friday would also benefit big tech companies like Apple and Samsung. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection said items like smartphones, laptops, machines used to make semiconductors and flat-panel monitors would be exempt.

TJ Semanchin is the co-owner of Wonderstate Coffee, a Wisconsin-based coffee roaster. Donald Trump's 10% blanket tariffs mean Semanchin's company will have to make some hard decisions. Wonderstate typically imports 40,000 pounds of coffee in one transaction. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with 51-year-old TJ Semanchin, the co-owner of Wonderstate Coffee. Business Insider has confirmed Semanchin's identity and role at the company. The piece has been edited for length and clarity. I've been in the coffee business for the last 25 years. Before that, I was living in Latin America studying issues around sustainable development in coffee...

...President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs have left Chinese Communists scrambling, markets in chaos, and Democrats feeling more isolated, irrelevant, and bent on revenge than ever before. The Left is so desperate to make sure President Trump’s tariffs don’t give U.S. workers more money that they’ve sunken into downright illegal actions to try to sabotage his agenda.... ...Obviously, the Democrats’ actions are completely illegal. The Constitution says states cannot opt out of trade agreements negotiated by the federal government. Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 vests Congress with the power “To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations....

The guidance that was issued also excludes flash drives and memory cards from the new tariffs President Trump exempted phones, computers and chips from his new tariffs on Friday. The guidance that was issued also excludes flash drives and memory cards. Trump has imposed 145% tariffs on imports from China. He paused further tariff actions on other countries in favor of a 10% baseline tariff.

The guidance also includes exclusions for other electronic devices and components, including semiconductors, solar cells, flat panel TV displays, flash drives, memory cards and solid-state drives used for storing data.

MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace said Friday on “Deadline” that there was “nothing more emasculating” than the tariffs being implemented by President Donald Trump. Wallace said, “So, Mitch, I spent nine months having to learn about the power of the manosphere and seeing Donald Trump sit with all sorts of podcasters and bloggers, and people younger and hipper than me ha?ving to explain to me who they are and why they matter. And gosh darn if he wasn’t right. Right? They mattered a lot.”

An extra fee is showing up on more shopping bills lately, and it carries a not-so-subtle message: These tariffs weren’t our idea. From bathroom-fixture makers to toy shops, companies are starting to tack tariff surcharges onto invoices as a separate line item. Some are a $5 flat fee, while others represent as much as 40% of the subtotal. The tactic is a way to pass on at least some tariff costs to consumers—especially on Chinese-made goods, with levies totaling 145% since January—while passing the buck to President Trump. “We think transparency is the way to go here, and I am...

Former Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen claimed Friday on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360” that President Donald Trump’s tariffs are doing “immense damage to our economy.” Yellen said, “This is the worst self-inflicted policy wound I’ve ever seen in my career inflicted on our economy. The Trump tariff plans are doing immense damage to our economy. You can see that in the stock market, in the impact of these tariffs are expected to have on American households. And we’re even beginning to see what looks like a flight away from dollar-based assets in the financial markets, which is a really scary development.”...

Shrimpers along the Gulf Coast say they need more help from the federal government with cheap shrimp imports from countries like Ecuador, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam driving down local demand. With reciprocal tariffs on imports from those countries on hold for 90 days, shrimpers are left wondering if they will get a lifeline they say they desperately need. Some shrimp farmers are ready to push for measures like capping imports at 25%. Rodney Olander with the Louisiana Shrimp Task Force has been coasting the gulf coast waters for shrimp for more than 40 years. Shrimp season is just a month...

Big Horn Mountain Farms in Buffalo was voted Wyoming’s best-tasting beef at last year’s annual Rendezvous City Beef Roundup in Riverton. But if that farm wanted to sell some of its tasty, free-range, 100% organic, wagyu beef to Australia’s luxury, high-end market, it can’t get there from here. That’s not because of any outright ban on American beef. Instead, it’s a convoluted set of biosecurity rules that are keeping American beef away from the Australian market. Australia only accepts U.S. beef if it can be proven that the beef was sourced from cattle born, raised and slaughtered in the United...