China has quietly exempted from tariffs some semiconductors made in the United States, in an attempt to protect its leading technology companies from a bitter trade showdown with President Donald Trump. Levies on at least eight classifications of U.S.-made microchips have been dropped to zero, instead of the 125 percent retaliatory tariff rate Beijing has imposed on all other U.S. goods, Caijing, a Chinese financial media outlet, reported Friday. The article was later deleted. But two importers who spoke to The Washington Post confirmed that certain semiconductors are exempted from tariffs. One company in Shenzhen listed the exemptions on social media app WeChat and posted screenshots of zero-percent tariff rates from a customs database. Beijing has remained defiant in response to Trump’s more conciliatory tone this week. The two sides have struggled to agree even on whether talks are taking place, let alone on the steps necessary to climb down from levies so high that they essentially amount to a trade embargo.

Full report : Levies on certain U.S.-made microchips have been dropped by Chinese government.