The lobbying of Apple will have finally paid off. On 18 September, a week before the entry into force of the new round of customs duties punitive damages on $ 200 billion of chinese imports, Washington has removed the watches connected, the wireless headphones and the speakers intelligent of the list of goods taxed. What to save on the iWatch and the AirPods from Apple, but also its voice assistant HomePod and those of Google or Amazon – all devices manufactured in China and then imported to the United States.
It must be said that since the beginning of the iron arms trade between the two largest global economies, to the end of the summer, Tim Cook, Apple CEO, has multiplied the meetings with the councillors of Donald Trump. With as leitmotiv of its argument, the risk that these tariffs weigh on the purchasing power of american households. “These taxes will increase the prices paid by consumers and restrain the economic growth of the United States,” warned Apple in a letter sent on September 5, the american representative of the trade, Robert Lighthizer.
“The iPhone is also not included in this list, stresses Benoît Flamant, fund manager high-tech at Finaltis. Apple has used its lobbying to escape these taxes. “And for good reason : the smartphone apple has generated two-thirds of 229 billion (198 billion euros) of turnover achieved by the california firm in the course of its last fiscal year.
The threat of a third wave of sanctions
In reality, the majority of the tech giants american should emerge unscathed from this episode. Since the products hit since the 24th of September by of the customs taxes of 10 % (then 25 % from 1 January 2019) are not as Apple, Microsoft, or Hewlett-Packard are coming to China. In addition to the furniture and textile goods and agricultural which make up in particular…
