In September, Apple announced their new 2019 Mac Pro will be assembled in the United States, following a U.S. government tariff exemption for many of the components used in the new Mac.
However, Bloomberg reports the U.S. Trade Representative’s office has denied Apple’s request for tariff exemption on certain Mac Pro components made in China.
The report says Apple’s request for relief from 25% tariffs has been denied for some Mac Pro components, including the Mac Pro wheels, a circuit board that manages input and output ports, the power adapter and charging cable, and a processor cooling system.
In letters to Apple from USTR, the five exclusion requests were denied because they “failed to show that the imposition of additional duties on the particular product would cause severe economic harm to you or other U.S. interests.”
In late September, it was reported that the U.S. government had approved a tariff exemption request for 10 Chinese-made Mac Pro parts.
Despite the denial for the additional parts, U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted, praising Apple’s decision to build the new Mac Pro in a Texas factory:
Great news! @Apple announced that it is building its new Mac Pro in Texas. This means hundreds of American jobs in Austin and for suppliers across the Country. Congratulations to the Apple team and their workers! https://t.co/FMrWFq9wcz
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2019
In the press release announcing Apple’s decision to assemble the Mac Pro in Texas, the company said U.S.-based assembly of the new Mac was made possible by a “federal product exclusion Apple is receiving for certain necessary components.”
