WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has offered car manufacturers temporary exemptions from his extensive tariffs, stating that they need more time to adjust their supply chains to produce parts in the United States, German Press Agency (dpa) reported.
Trump is currently considering how to assist some manufacturers but did not provide details on Monday on the specific measures or their duration.
Trump imposed tariffs of 25 per cent on vehicles imported into the US, and at the beginning of May, tariffs on imported parts are also expected to follow.
Some vehicles from Mexico and Canada are already exempt under a North American trade agreement.
Shares of US automotive giants General Motors and Ford rose following Trump’s announcement.
Over the weekend, the Trump administration had already exempted electronic products like smartphones and laptops from China from its additional tariffs of 125 per cent.
A major beneficiary of this move is Apple: The vast majority of iPhones are still built in China even though the company has expanded production in India and Vietnam.
However, the White House emphasises that the exemptions are temporary and that electronics are intended to fall under planned chip tariffs.
Trump was asked about Apple on Monday and said he is speaking with the company’s chief executive, Tim Cook, and will be flexible: “I don’t want to hurt anybody.”
He said he recently helped Cook. – BERNAMA-dpa
