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Apple says Trump's tariffs would make Watch, AirPods and Macs more expensive

It's not like Apple gear was cheap to begin with.

Sean Hollister Senior Editor / Reviews
When his parents denied him a Super NES, he got mad. When they traded a prize Sega Genesis for a 2400 baud modem, he got even. Years of Internet shareware, eBay'd possessions and video game testing jobs after that, he joined Engadget. He helped found The Verge, and later served as Gizmodo's reviews editor. When he's not madly testing laptops, apps, virtual reality experiences, and whatever new gadget will supposedly change the world, he likes to kick back with some games, a good Nerf blaster, and a bottle of Tejava.
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Sean Hollister
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Juxtaposition by Alfred Ng/CNET

The United States' proposed $200 billion tariff on Chinese-made products might not affect your next TVs or phone purchase directly, but Apple now says that a whole lot of other Apple products would get hit by the 25 percent increase in import tax -- including the Apple Watch , AirPods headphones and HomePod smart speaker.

Here's the whole list of products and parts that Apple claims will be affected:

  • Apple Watch
  • AirPods
  • HomePod
  • BeatsWL
  • AirPort router (but note that these have been discontinued)
  • Time Capsule (ditto)
  • Mac Mini
  • Magic Mouse
  • Magic Trackpad
  • Apple Pencil
  • "Apple adapters, chargers, cables and cords"
  • "Apple leather covers and cases for iPhone, iPad, MacBook and Apple Pencil"
  • "Apple main logic boards with microprocessing units"
  • "Memory modules, video graphic/audio cards and PCBAs"
  • "Apple computer parts (e.g., housings and internal components)"
  • "Apple MacBook internal keyboards and trackpads"
  • "Printed circuit boards"
  • "Electrical connectors"
  • "Equipment used for research, development, testing and engineering."

That news comes in a letter from Apple to the Trump administration, one of many from companies commenting on the proposed tariffs before they potentially take effect. 

"Because all tariffs ultimately show up as a tax on US consumers, they will increase the cost of Apple products that our customers have come to rely on in their daily lives," Apple writes. 

Apple also argues that the tariff would be worse for the US than China. You can read the full letter below. 

(Note that there seems to be a third, secret list of items that's been redacted from the document -- wonder what those are?)

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported the letter earlier. 

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The Office of the United States Trade Representative declined to comment.