China Quietly Notifies Companies About New Tariff Policy

Essential Imports

The exemptions are being communicated privately to companies, allowing Beijing to ease economic pressure without appearing to soften its stance in the ongoing trade dispute with Washington.

Source: X (@OopsGuess)

The exemptions also focus on essential imports such as pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and aircraft engines. These items had already received some public exemptions before April 27th, but new details reveal a broader, unpublished “whitelist” of goods now being quietly cleared for tariff relief.

Back & Forth

A recent Wall Street Journal report, citing deleted content from Chinese outlet Caijing, revealed China had dropped tariffs on multiple categories of U.S. semiconductors. Importers later confirmed the changes, with some sharing screenshots from customs databases showing updated zero-percent rates.

These selective rollbacks suggest that informal talks may be underway, even as both governments deny formal negotiations. While President Trump recently said a deal was possible if it was “fair,” China has remained publicly firm, insisting the U.S. must first reduce its 145% tariff rates.