China Lifts Tariffs on Select US-Made Semiconductors.

2 months ago 6

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: China has removed tariffs on certain types of semiconductors from the United States, reducing them from the initially suggested 125 percent to zero.

👥 Who’s Involved: The Chinese government, U.S. semiconductor manufacturers, and President Donald J. Trump.

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📍 Where & When: The tariff exemptions were reported by a Chinese financial media outlet on a recent Friday, amid ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and China.

💬 Key Quote: “He’s called. And I don’t think that’s a sign of weakness on his behalf,” President Trump on speaking with Chinese President Xi Jinping on trade.

⚠️ Impact: The exemptions may signal China is cracking in its ongoing trade dispute with the U.S., although broader tariffs on goods continue, affecting various industries.

IN FULL:

China has quietly reduced tariffs on some American-made semiconductors amidst the trade conflict with the United States. This move lowers tariffs on at least eight categories of U.S. microchips to zero, a significant change from the 125 percent levy previously imposed by Beijing for various U.S. products.

These tariff exemptions on semiconductor imports reflect a selective easing in the economic tensions between the two nations.

President Donald J. Trump recently remarked that negotiations related to tariffs with China are ongoing, yet Chinese officials have denied such discussions. When asked about any conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said, “He’s called. And I don’t think that’s a sign of weakness on his behalf.”

Earlier this month, Trump declared tariffs against several countries. A 90-day pause on higher rates was offered for nations open to negotiation, though Chinese imports remain heavily tariffed. Some goods, including many Chinese-made electronics like laptops and smartphones, have been temporarily exempted.

The Chinese exemptions could offer some respite to U.S. semiconductor manufacturers trading with China. Nonetheless, other American goods and sectors continue to face Chinese tariffs and trade barriers, though even before the trade conflict began, China imported far fewer American goods than goods it exported to America. Trade restrictions have been an escalating point of contention between the world’s largest economies, with varying impacts on global markets and industries.

The move shows that China may be willing to begin trade negotiations with the United States. All other countries that had tariffs placed on them have requested talks with President Trump and his administration.

Image via Wikimedia Commons.

PULSE POINTS:

❓ What Happened: Attorney General Pam Bondi has described the circumstances that led to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents arresting Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan on April 25, 2025, for allegedly obstructing U.S. Immigration and Customers Enforcement (ICE) by helping a previously deported illegal alien, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, escape arrest at her courthouse.

👥 Who’s Involved: Judge Hannah Dugan, Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, ICE agents, and Eduardo Flores Ruiz, a Mexican illegal with a domestic abuse charge.

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📍 Where & When: Milwaukee County Courthouse, Wisconsin, with the incident occurring on April 18, 2025, and the arrest on April 25, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: Attorney General Pam Bondi stated, “The Judge learns that ICE was outside to get the guy… She comes back into the courtroom… Takes the defendant and the defense attorney back in her chambers… and tells them to leave.”

⚠️ Impact: Dugan’s arrest underscores the Trump administration’s strong stance on immigration enforcement, potentially deterring judicial interference while intensifying federal-local tensions over sanctuary policies.

IN FULL:

The FBI arrested Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan on April 25, 2025, charging her with obstructing an ICE operation after she allegedly helped an illegal alien evade arrest. The incident, which unfolded on April 18 at the Milwaukee County Courthouse, has intensified the debate over the role of judges in hindering immigration enforcement, with the Trump administration signaling a no-tolerance approach.

Speaking on Fox News, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Judge Dugan intervened when ICE agents arrived to detain Eduardo Flores Ruiz, a Mexican migrant previously deported in 2013 and facing misdemeanor battery charges related to domestic abuse. Bondi detailed the events: “The Judge learns that ICE was outside to get the guy, because he had been deported in 2013, came back into our country, charged with committing these crimes, victim is in court. Judge finds out. She goes out into the hallway. Screams at the immigration officer. She’s furious. Visibly shaken. Upset. Sends them off to talk to the chief judge. She comes back into the courtroom. You’re not going to believe this. Takes the defendant and the defense attorney back in her chambers. Takes them out a private exit and tells them to leave. While the state prosecutor and victims of domestic violence are sitting in the courtroom.”

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the arrest, stating that Dugan “intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse,” allowing Flores Ruiz to initially evade capture. ICE agents later apprehended him after a foot chase, but Patel noted the judge’s actions “created increased danger to the public.” Dugan now faces felony charges of obstruction and concealing a person from arrest, which could lead to up to six years in prison if convicted.

Dugan, elected as a judge in 2016 and endorsed by Milwaukee’s Democratic mayor, previously served as head of Catholic Charities, where she supported refugee resettlement—a background some argue may have influenced her decision to shield Flores Ruiz. The case echoes a 2018 incident in Massachusetts, where a judge faced charges for helping an illegal immigrant escape ICE, though those charges were later dropped.

Democrats have suggested the arrest of a judge by federal authorities signals an authoritarian turn by the Trump administration, but administration officials, including Vice President J.D. Vance, have turned a line previously used against President Trump back against them, stating that “No one is above the law.”