CTA CEO: Tech Exclusion Not a Permanent Solution
April 14, 2025
The following statement is attributed to Gary Shapiro, CEO and Vice Chair of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®:
The Trump Administration’s decision to exclude certain consumer tech products from tariffs is long-overdue recognition that these duties hurt U.S. consumers and the economy—something CTA has warned for over a year.
At the same time, the shift from IEEPA to Section 232 as a legal basis for tariffs reveals the Administration’s desire for a more durable justification. But claiming that downstream consumer tech products qualify as 'semiconductors' is a stretch.
The tech exclusion is not a permanent solution. Unpredictability is undermining long-term investment and growth. More, high production costs and a limited skilled workforce make domestic manufacturing of consumer tech challenging. To support U.S. innovation and competitiveness, we need a smarter, targeted trade strategy where we team up with allies to compete with China.
International trade is vital to the consumer technology sector. Global supply chains are intricate and often take decades to develop. Unfair trade practices should be addressed at the World Trade Organization and with our global allies. Opening global markets, not closing them, spurs economic competitiveness.