(BFM Stock Exchange) – European semiconductors’ companies are increasing upright on Monday, April 14, propelled by the provisional exemption from American customs surcharge on technological products.

This week begins with a new turnaround by Donald Trump on his favorite subject, namely customs duties. And this time the flip-flop of the American leader goes in the right direction.

Friday, April 11, the Trump administration announced that it has ousted smartphones, computers and other electronic products from its “reciprocal” customs duties, which entered into force last week. Whose electronic products imported from China, which were subject to denial customs duties of 145%.

This measurement applies retroactively to Saturday 5 April. But these electronic products are no exception to customs duty. They remain subject to 20% customs duties that Donald Trump had previously imposed on all Chinese products due to China’s supposed involvement in fentanyl traffic, a powerful opioid who wreaked havoc in the United States.

On the stock market, the European semiconductor sector benefits from American announcements. In Amsterdam, the equipment supplier for the semiconductor industry specializing in photolithography, ASML increased by 3.12%. The Batave group will also publish its first quarter results this week.

In Frankfurt, Infineon was appreciated by 3.9% while at the Paris Stock Exchange, Stmicroelectronics won 2.6%. Soitec jumped for its part of 6.5%, because this company is exposed to consumer goods, an industry very consuming in electronic components. And in particular at the smartphones market which is an important outlet for the company Iséroise.

Essential consumer goods

“Many of these products are essential consumer goods – articles whose Americans cannot happen, such as smartphones and computers, which makes them politically sensitive,” recalls John Plassard, director at Mirabaud.

“The Trump administration has probably chosen not to risk annoying consumers as mid-term elections are approaching,” he adds.

These exemptions concern nearly $ 390 billion in American imports, based on official trade statistics from the United States for 2024, including more than $ 101 billion from China, according to data compiled by Gerard Dipippo, associate director of Rand China Research Center, cited by Bloomberg.

“These announcements are, in clear, positive for technology, in particular for giants like Apple who could have seen all their price strategy upset by customs duties of 145% imposed on China. This stay and the announcement that new customs duties will only be applied in a few months give Apple time to constitute its stock in the United States (…) without having to make uptime price” Matt Britzman, analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.

Apple increased by 5.4%, Nvidia by 2% and Dell jumped 6.4% before the opening of Wall Street. The apple brand exports to the vast majority of its iPhone from China, and had multiplied “urgent expeditions” from India to repatriate tens of thousands of its smartphones on American soil.

A “temporary” stay

However, this respite remains short -lived. Donald Trump does not intend to let go as easily on customs duties. The American leader said that this stay was “temporary” and that he would announce “in the week” new customs measures on these technological products.

US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said on Sunday April 13, in “This Week”, the program of the ABC television channel that these products will be “included in customs duties on semiconductors, which will probably arrive in a month or two”.

“All these products will be classified in the category of semiconductors and will be the subject of a special customs rate to ensure that these products are replaced. We need semiconductors, fleas and flat screens-these products must be manufactured in America. We cannot depend on Southeast Asia for everything that works for us,” said Howard Lutnick.

The American Secretary of Commerce also recalled in this interview that the White House intends to set up “a pricing model to encourage” the companies of semiconductors and the pharmaceutical industry to relocate their activities in the United States.

Last week, Donald Trump said that he intended to introduce “major customs duties on pharmaceutical products”, during an annual dinner organized by the National Republican Committee of Congress.

“Once we have done this, they will return en masse to our country, because we are the largest market,” added Donald Trump. “The advantage we have on everyone is that we are the big market,” he said at this event.

Pharmaceutical products were previously excluded from the first series of “reciprocal” customs measures announced on Wednesday April 2.