This is not investment advice. The author has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Wccftech.com has a disclosure and ethics policy.
The markets first showed their true heft earlier this week when they precipitated a surprise de-escalation, essentially forcing President Trump to concede to a global import tariff rate of 10 percent for all trading partners of the US barring China, which remained subject to a punitive tariff rate of 145 percent. This rapid change of heart at the White House was apparently triggered by the disorderly selloff in the bond market.
China tariff changes in the last 10 days:
April 2: 54%
April 8: 104%
April 9: 145%
April 12: Exempts electronics bringing average weighted rate back to 104%.My head is spinning. https://t.co/1ybyzeV8dT
— Cullen Roche (@cullenroche) April 12, 2025
Then, over the weekend, Trump rescinded the tariffs imposed on the import of semiconductors and electronic items (including Apple’s iPhones) from China, reducing the effective tariff rate on all Chinese imports to 104 percent. Despite the exemption from the reciprocal tariff rate of 145 percent, do note that the imports of semiconductors, smartphones, and other electronic items from China currently still remain subject to the original 20 percent IEEPA tariffs.
Commerce Secretary @howardlutnick on tariffs exemptions for certain electronics: “Those products are going to be part of the semiconductor sectoral tariffs, which are coming … We need to have these things made in America.” pic.twitter.com/2FvptcBzqe
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 13, 2025
Then, in a move that significantly enhances the prevailing confusion and uncertainty, the US Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, announced that sectoral tariffs on pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and electronic items were still in the pipeline, and would likely become effective in a month or so.
Tariff and market thoughts post Lutnick interview/comments this am. Worst case scenario taken off the table for Big Tech and tech stocks should be strong in our view …BUT more semi/tech tariffs and uncertainty abound in very confusing back and forth narrative
pic.twitter.com/AFMryLxDJ6
— Dan Ives (@DivesTech) April 13, 2025
This brings us to the crux of the matter. Wedbush’s Dan Ives now feels that Trump has taken “the doomsday scenario off the table and tech stocks will rally tomorrow as investors can breathe a sigh of relief.” However, the analyst feels that the Trump administration’s imminent announcement of sectoral tariffs on semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and electronic products creates “mass confusion.”
“The mass confusion created by this constant news flow out of the White House is dizzying for the industry and investors, and creating massive uncertainty and chaos for companies trying to plan their supply chain, inventory, and demand.”
It is for this reason that some traders now feel we are not out of the woods just yet.
This tariff news with Trump exempting phones, chips, and computers..
It’s a crowded trade for the upside on Monday. Retail will chase this headline. Smart money will sell into the rally over the next 2 weeks.
Like I said before..Short term we should see a decent bounce but…
— EliteOptionsTrader (@EliteOptions2) April 12, 2025
For instance, one options market veteran with an experience of 14 years thinks that it will be “a crowded trade for the upside on Monday,” and that he sees “one more bigger dip in the next 4-6 weeks.”