Technology stocks rose after the Trump administration announced a pause in tariffs for phones, computers and consumer electronics, though officials later downplayed the reprieve.
Shares of Apple Inc. climbed more than 6% on the Robinhood trading platform. Nasdaq 100 futures jumped more than 2.3% in early Asian trading hours Monday before halving the advance.
In Taiwan, iPhone assembler Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. gained as much as 7.1%. South Korean parts maker LG Innotek Co., which gets the bulk of its revenue from Apple, surged as much as 8.9%. Nvidia Corp. supplier Advantest Corp. rose 6.3% in Tokyo. A gauge of Asian tech stocks climbed as much as 2.6%, boosting the regional benchmark.
“We are in a much better spot than Friday” and tech investors “can now breathe a sigh of relief,” Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives wrote in a note. “But still there is mass uncertainty, chaos and confusion about the next steps ahead with all focus on China tariff negotiations being front and center”
Late Friday, US Customs and Border Protection published measures excluding such products from the 125% China tariff and baseline 10% global tariff on nearly all other countries.
President Donald Trump and other officials pledged over the weekend that tech tariffs are still coming, however. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick insisted it was only a pause, though the new tech levies will almost certainly be lower than the 125% rate on China. Chip tariffs are “coming in probably a month or two,” Lutnick added.
“I think it is ‘net’ reprieve, as the bet that electronics will still be less than the 125% reciprocal on China and that companies get to build buffer now,” said Vishnu Varathan, head of economics and strategy at Mizuho Bank. The biggest beneficiary in Asia around this news will likely be China “temporarily, but I would not take too much solace in that as the guns are still trained on China.”
Key Chinese stocks to watch include Luxshare Precision Industry Co. and Lens Technology Co., which get more than half of their sales from Apple. Hong Kong-listed smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp. will also be in focus.
