Trump tariffs on electronics changed significantly between 2025 and 2026. Some broad emergency tariffs ended in February 2026, while long-standing Section 301 duties on Chinese goods and newer Section 232 measures remain. The practical result is not one universal tariff rate: the cost of an imported device depends on its HTS classification, country of origin, components, end use, and any applicable exclusion.
As of July 24, 2026, a temporary 10% import surcharge that began on February 24 is scheduled to expire unless Congress extends it. Certain electronics were excluded from that surcharge. Importers should therefore check the current HTS entry rather than applying a headline tariff percentage to every product.
For a broader planning overview, see Titoma’s China tariff guide. The URL is unchanged, but the guide has been updated for 2026.
What Changed for Electronics Tariffs in 2026?
Three layers matter most:
- Section 301 duties on Chinese goods remain. The U.S. Trade Representative began a second four-year review in May 2026, so companies should continue checking whether their exact HTS code appears on a Section 301 list or qualifies for an exclusion.
- Some 2025 emergency tariffs ended. A February 20, 2026 executive order ended additional duties imposed under IEEPA, but specifically left Section 301 and Section 232 duties unaffected.
- Product-specific measures still apply. Certain advanced computing chips became subject to a 25% Section 232 duty in January 2026, with important end-use exceptions. USTR also scheduled a 25% Section 301 rate for specified lithium-ion non-EV batteries from China in 2026.
Official references: Ending Certain Tariff Actions, USTR Section 301 review, and the 2026 semiconductor proclamation.
7 Electronics Products With Tariff Exposure in 2026
1. Smartphones
Smartphones combine displays, batteries, cameras, radio modules, processors, and many smaller parts sourced across several countries. A finished phone may receive different treatment from replacement parts or accessories. The key questions are the product’s HTS code, where substantial transformation occurred, and whether any listed components enter separately.
2. Laptops and Computers
Laptops can contain Chinese-origin power supplies, batteries, printed circuit assemblies, displays, and enclosures even when final assembly takes place elsewhere. Finished computers and individual parts do not necessarily share the same tariff treatment. Businesses should calculate landed cost by SKU and avoid assuming that a new final-assembly country automatically removes every duty.
3. Gaming Consoles
Gaming consoles depend on processors, memory, storage, controllers, power supplies, and mechanical parts from a multi-country supply chain. Exposure can differ between the console, bundled accessories, and spare parts. Before forecasting a retail price increase, importers should classify each imported configuration and check whether the goods are covered by a current trade action.
4. Televisions
Televisions use large display panels, control boards, tuners, power modules, and housings. The country printed on a component is not automatically the country of origin of the finished television, but component sourcing still affects manufacturing cost and resilience. Larger screens also create a meaningful freight and inventory impact, so duty should be evaluated together with logistics cost.
5. Monitors and Displays
Monitors share many components with televisions but may use different HTS classifications depending on their design and principal use. Industrial displays, consumer monitors, touch displays, and replacement panels should not be treated as one category. A classification review is especially important when the same display platform is sold in several configurations.
6. Lithium-Ion Batteries and Power Products
This is one of the clearest 2026 changes. USTR scheduled a 25% Section 301 rate for specified lithium-ion non-electrical-vehicle batteries from China in 2026. The effect can reach power banks, battery packs, replacement batteries, and products that import the battery separately. Confirm the exact subheading because cells, modules, packs, and finished devices may be treated differently.
7. Computer Accessories and Electronic Components
Keyboards, mice, webcams, chargers, external drives, cables, printed circuit assemblies, and replacement parts can each have a different HTS code. Small unit values do not eliminate the risk: repeated imports at volume can create a substantial annual duty cost. The end of broad de minimis treatment also makes correct entry data more important for low-value shipments.
How Businesses Can Reduce Tariff Risk
- Confirm the HTS code. Use the current Harmonized Tariff Schedule and obtain a CBP binding ruling when classification or origin is uncertain.
- Map country of origin by imported item. Record where key production steps occur, not only the supplier’s address or final shipping point.
- Calculate landed cost by SKU. Include normal duty, Section 301 or Section 232 duty, fees, freight, and brokerage instead of using a single company-wide percentage.
- Keep design portable. Maintain manufacturing files, test fixtures, firmware access, and approved alternatives so production can move without a complete redesign.
- Review the BOM early. Alternative components or a different module architecture can reduce both supply risk and avoidable cost. See our guide to optimizing a BOM.
- Recheck before every major shipment. Tariff actions and exclusions can change faster than a product lifecycle.
CBP explains that the HTS number determines the applicable duty rate, while country-of-origin decisions depend on where materials and production steps occurred. When the answer is unclear, an importer can request a binding ruling through CBP eRulings.
Conclusion
Electronics tariffs in 2026 are more targeted than the early 2025 headlines suggested, but they have not disappeared. Batteries, selected semiconductors, Chinese-origin parts, and many accessories can still face additional duties. Smartphones, laptops, consoles, televisions, and monitors require product-level classification rather than a blanket price-increase estimate.
The safest approach is to verify the HTS code and origin, calculate landed cost by SKU, and keep the design transferable before committing to a new production location. This turns tariff planning from a last-minute customs problem into an engineering and supply-chain decision.
