Smartphone Exports Plummet Amid US-China Tech Tussle: Is Your iPhone Next?
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Smartphone Exports Plummet Amid US-China Tech Tussle: Is Your iPhone Next?
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Welcome to “Beijing Bytes: US-China Tech War Updates.” I’m Ting—your on-the-ground, in-the-clouds expert for all things China, cyber, and the world’s favorite digital rivalry. Let’s skip the small talk and jack right into what’s been lighting up the fiber optics between DC and Beijing these past two weeks.
First, the cyber front: barely a week ago, the US Commerce Department dropped new rules hammering Chinese access to AI chips. The guidelines are clear: no using Huawei’s Ascend chips, no US chips to train China’s AI, and definitely no re-exporting those high-end semiconductors to Chinese territory. It’s not just a game of cat and mouse—it’s more like firewall and mousetrap. And to make things spicier, export controls now hit Electronic Design Automation software; that’s the secret sauce for designing next-gen chips. The US even halted LEAP-1C jet engine sales to China’s Comac C919 program. Aviation geeks, yes, that’s a major jolt to China’s ambitions to rival Boeing and Airbus.
What’s China’s move? Lin Jin, spokesperson extraordinaire from China’s foreign ministry, called the US approach an “overstretch” of national security and a “weaponization” of tech policy. Expect more calls for dialogue, but Beijing is plowing ahead with its own $143 billion plan to build out domestic semiconductor muscle.
Now, about those smartphone exports. Brace yourself: a stunning 72% collapse in shipments—the steepest since records began. Blame it on the tech war, stricter export controls, and the ongoing tug-of-war over chips that’s smacking supply chains harder than a summer typhoon. Huawei, once king of the mobile hill, continues to feel the pain from US entity list expansions and restrictions on 5nm chip access.
On the policy side, May 12 marked a rare thaw: both Washington and Beijing agreed to cut reciprocal tariffs to 10%. But don’t let the sunshine fool you. The big-ticket electronics—think iPhones, laptops, SSDs—scored a short-lived tariff exemption, yet they’re still tangled in a labyrinth of 20% and 50% duties, especially for semiconductors. Call it a selective ceasefire; the tech war rages on elsewhere.
Strategically, both countries are doubling down on chokepoints. The US is wielding its semiconductor hammer, blocking ASML’s EUV lithography sales to China, while China flexes its rare earths dominance—85% of the world’s processing power is in Chinese hands. These aren’t just economic levers; they’re national security pressure points with huge implications for everything from clean energy to electric vehicles.
Expert takeaway? The old trade war has officially evolved. It’s less about balance sheets, more about who’ll invent the future. Tech transfer, intellectual property, and control of AI are now front and center. Both sides are weaponizing innovation and plugging leaks in academic and industrial collaborations, all while domesticating their tech supply chains. This is a genuine “strategic decoupling,” not a full divorce, but one where every app, chip, and line of code is up for grabs.
Forecast: Tech rivalry is the new normal, dialed up to eleven. Both sides are digging in for a drawn-out battle—think cyber skirmishes, tit-for-tat restrictions, and relentless R&D sprints. Silicon sovereignty isn’t a buzzword now; it’s a survival strategy. Stay tuned, because in the US-China tech war, rebooting is never an option.
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