President Donald Trump, right, shakes the hand of El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Monday, April 14, 2025. (Pool via AP)
While talking to reporters, Trump also reiterated comments he made last week about the need to be flexible amid the ongoing tariff negotiations with various countries.
"Look, I'm a very flexible person. I don't change my mind, but I'm flexible, and you have to be. You just can't have a wall, and you'll only — sometimes you have to go around it, under it or above it," Trump told reporters. "There will be maybe things coming… I don't want to hurt anybody, but the end result is we're going to get to the position of greatness for our country."
A notice published by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol on Friday indicated that smartphones, computers and other electronics would be spared from Trump's 145% import tariffs on Chinese goods. However, the electronics will still be subject to semiconductor tariffs and tariffs related to fentanyl, per the administration and the president.
TRUMP'S TARIFF BLITZ NOW EXEMPTING ELECTRICAL GOODS LIKE PHONES, LAPTOPS
Trump signaled last week after he paused reciprocal tariff increases on 75 countries that showed a good-faith effort to negotiate new trade deals that he was open to providing exemptions for certain U.S. companies inordinately impacted by the tariffs.
The president's signal that more relief could be on the way for carmakers comes after he already provided the industry with a one-month reprieve from the 25% tariffs imposed on all goods imported from Canada and Mexico, implemented March 4, after speaking with executives with three of the country's largest auto dealers.
Senators Elizabeth Warren and Michael Bennet are asking tech companies for answers following their contributions to President-elect Trump's inaugural fund. (Win McNamee/Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, in a weekend Truth Social post following criticism from the likes of people like Warren and Summers, the president sought to defend the move to provide some relief to the electronics industry.
"NOBODY is getting ‘off the hook’ for the unfair trade balances, and Non Monetary Tariff Barriers, that other countries have used against us, especially not China which, by far, treats us the worst!" said Trump.
"There was no tariff ‘exception’ announced on Friday," Trump declared in the post, noting that electronics will still be subject to a 20% tariff related to fentanyl. "They are just moving to a different Tariff ‘bucket.’ The Fake News knows this, but refuses to report it. We are taking a look at Semiconductors and the WHOLE ELECTRONICS SUPPLY CHAIN in the upcoming National Security Tariff Investigations."
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment, and to inquire about further details regarding the potential temporary tariff relief for automakers, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-says-hes-looking-certain-tariff-exemptions-automakers-they-need-little-bit-time