Skip to Content
Tech policy

US trade wars could soon extend to electronics

Trump is mulling tariffs on imports of Chinese consumer technology. That could well backfire.

The news:  Bloomberg says that the president’s new tariffs could be extended to hit imports to the US beyond aluminum and steel. That could include electronics, to “punish Beijing for its alleged theft of intellectual property.”

The impact:  Gadfly notes that firms like Amazon and Apple, which build devices in China, may have to hike US prices if that happens. It may also push foreign firms to manufacture in America, and encourage China to impede sales of US hardware while pushing its own.

Why it matters: Trump says a trade war is “easy” for America to win, but tech firms could struggle. The situation also heightens tech tensions already whipped to fever pitch by the US government’s national security concerns about takeovers of American firms.

Deep Dive

Tech policy

How to preserve your digital memories

Following recent announcements by Google and Twitter, more data deletion policies are coming.

Your digital life isn’t as permanent as you think it is

Google will delete accounts after two years of inactivity, and experts expect more data deletion policies to come

Catching bad content in the age of AI

Why haven’t tech companies improved at content moderation?

Behind the scenes of Carnegie Mellon’s heated privacy dispute

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University wanted to create a privacy-preserving smart sensor. They were accused of violating privacy instead.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.