Skip to Content
Tech policy

The US-China trade war has officially begun, and tech will feel it

At 12:01 a.m. EST, the Trump administration’s tariffs on $34 billion worth of Chinese goods officially went into effect. China immediately retaliated in equal measure.

Shots fired: China’s commerce ministry released a statement saying the US “has launched the largest trade war in economic history to date.” The Trump administration, which has maintained that China engages in unfair trade practices and steals intellectual property, has threatened another $500 billion in tariffs.

What’s affected? Many of the tariffs focus on tech-centric sectors—like aerospace, communications, and robotics—that the Chinese government sees as critical to the country’s future. Tariffed items include aircraft engines and parts, ball bearings, microscopes, tractor parts, large motor vehicles, and LEDs (see the full list here).

The immediate impact: Some Chinese ports saw delays in clearing US imports as they waited for official word on the tariffs. Companies will have to make a choice on whether to pass increased costs along to customers.

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.