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Graphics cards and motherboards assembled in China are avoiding President Donald Trump’s import taxes, for now.
In a three-page notice published Saturday in the Federal Register, the Office of the Trade Representative said it was “appropriate” to extend a moratorium that won’t subject vendors of electronics equipment to tariffs on graphics cards and graphics processing units.
The measure stems from a long-running Section 301 investigation into Chinese economic policies and whether they are harming American companies. That federal probe started under the first Trump administration, and it would apply a 25% tariff if officials conclude that Chinese companies had an unfair advantage.
The 25% tariff has been inactive due to a string of reprieves from both the Biden and Trump administrations. China remains the world’s largest electronics manufacturer, according to the International Trade Centre; the nation is still subject to a minimum 30% import tax by the Trump administration, barring some exemptions.
Major tech companies including Apple (AAPL), Nvidia (NVDA) and Microsoft (MSFT) were spared the brunt of Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs in April. A federal court battle is now brewing over the fate of those tariffs.