The list of products on the US tariff list hits close to China’s tech dreams

List includes items ranging from touchscreens to chemicals

Reading Time:1 minute

The list of products on the US tariff list hits close to China’s tech dreams

Published: 10:00pm, 4 Apr 2018Updated: 8:22am, 20 Sep 2019

This article originally appeared on ABACUS

The US government has released the list of products it will begin targeting with a 25 percent tariff, and as expected, it includes products that are central to China’s tech industry.

The list doesn’t include cell phones, but does include many of their components -- like semiconductors and lithium-ion batteries.

And there are also a range of non-tech products among the 1,333 items on the list, including poultry-keeping machinery, rifles, artificial joints and even flamethrowers.

The release comes amid rising tensions between the world’s two largest economies, with fears of a trade war increasing.

Despite concern from some industry watchers that the move might lead to higher prices for consumers -- the reaction from many was relief that the list didn’t include consumer items.

China said it would respond with similar countermeasures, adding in a statement: “As the Chinese saying goes, it is only polite to reciprocate.”

For more insights into China tech, sign up for our tech newsletters, subscribe to our Inside China Tech podcast, and download the comprehensive 2019 China Internet Report. Also roam China Tech City, an award-winning interactive digital map at our sister site Abacus.