Technologies

Trump Touts China Trade Deal: Tariffs Back to Square One, Still Historically High

The tentative agreement between the White House and Beijing would, among other things, allow Chinese students into American universities again.

President Donald Trump last week took to Truth Social to tout a new tentative trade agreement with China, albeit one that only really takes things back to square one and leaves the tariff rate against Beijing at historically high levels.

«WE ARE GETTING A TOTAL OF 55% TARIFFS, CHINA IS GETTING 10%,» Trump’s post to Truth Social read, with a later post adding, «President Xi [Jinping] and I are going to work closely together to open up China to American Trade. This would be a great WIN for both countries!!!»

Under this new arrangement, if it stands, the US tariff rate against China will be set at 55%, which is actually an increase from the 30% rate set when the two countries declared a truce in May at the start of their negotiations. It is seemingly just bringing the rate back in line with what Trump first announced in April on the so-called «Liberation Day,» which saw the rate against China set at 54%.

That initial announcement was followed by multiple rounds of escalation, which saw the import taxes against China hiked all the way to a rate of 145%. As part of this new arrangement, Trump said that the US will get access to rare earth minerals from China — including ones vital to the production of technology like smartphones — while in return, Chinese students will be allowed to attend American colleges and universities.

During his first term, Trump’s trade war with China saw the average tariff rate against China increase to about 20%, which remained largely unchanged during Joe Biden’s presidency. Given how much the US has traditionally imported from China, increased tariffs on goods from there will have a much greater impact on the cost of goods than tariffs against other countries.

It is unclear at this point when this 55% rate would take effect. The earlier 30% rate was supposed to remain in effect until August while negotiations continued. It is also unclear if this rate will effect all imports from China the same, or if some will be spared.

What do these tariffs do to prices?

As I’ve touched extensively elsewhere here on CNET, a tariff is essentially a tax placed on imports from a certain country. A 55% tariff rate on China, therefore, means any company or entity looking to import goods from there will be charged 55% of the order’s cost in order to do so — think a $100,000 shipment now costing $155,000.

Now, you, an average consumer, maybe don’t do a lot of bulk importing of construction materials or cheap T-shirts from China, but that extra cost for importers will more than likely get to you anyway. To offset tariffs, companies almost always pass on their increased import costs to the end consumer — making homes made with those construction materials or those T-shirts now sold at a major chain store more expensive. That sort of phenomenon is why many economists and finance experts have characterized Trump’s tariffs as a major new tax on the working class.

Technologies

Samsung’s iPhone Fold Killer Is Leaked

Technologies

How to Tell if Someone Else’s Apple AirTag Is Tracking You

These settings can help make sure your iPhone alerts you to unwanted location trackers.

The biggest benefit of Apple’s AirTags is that they help you find your belongings, whether you’re looking for lost keys or keeping track of your luggage while traveling. But AirTags can also be used to track you without your knowledge.

AirTags work by combining built-in sensors, wireless signals and Apple’s wide Find My network to let you keep tabs on your valuables. If you ever lose your wallet with an AirTag inside, for example, you can use the Find My app to locate it on a map, have it play a sound to help you find it nearby, or mark it as «lost,» which allows other Find My users to help you find it.

One of the biggest complaints about AirTags, however, is that someone with malicious intent could easily slip one of the tiny tags into your bag and then track your movements without your consent. Multiple people have reported AirTag-related stalking incidents where the victims didn’t know the trackers were placed on them until much later.

Apple and Google (Android users have their own choice of Bluetooth trackers, such as the Moto Tag, which works with Google’s Find Hub) have since collaborated on an industry standard that alerts the user if a device is being used to track them without their knowledge. Thanks to this collaboration, Android users will be able to know if an AirTag is being used to track them, too.

Apple, for its part, has also made some changes in the past few years that improve the ability to detect an unwanted AirTag. In the initial rollout, an AirTag would make a sound three days after it’s separated from its paired device. Now, that duration is 8 to 24 hours. If you have unwanted tracking notifications enabled (which we’ll get to below), you’ll receive an audible alert.

We should note here that the new AirTag is 50% louder than the first-generation model, and would therefore be theoretically better at alerting you to the unwanted AirTag. Apple has also said that the speaker on the second-gen AirTag is harder to remove than on the first-gen model, in case bad actors try to remove it.

Detecting unwanted trackers

To be able to detect unwanted trackers, first enable unwanted-tracking notifications. For AirTags or other Find My accessories, these pop-up notifications (e.g., «AirTag found moving with you») are available on devices with iOS 14.5 or later. For other Bluetooth tracking devices, these notifications are enabled on iOS 17.5 or later.

You should enable Location Services, Find My iPhone, Bluetooth and Allow Notifications. Here’s how:

Head to Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Location Services and toggle it on.
After that, head to Settings, then Apple Account, select Find My and turn Find My iPhone on.
To enable Bluetooth, go to Settings, then Bluetooth and turn that on.
Then go to Settings, then Notifications, scroll down to Tracking Notifications and toggle on Allow Notifications. Make sure airplane mode is off, or you won’t receive tracking notifications.

What to do when you get the tracking notification

If you do get a notification like «Unknown tracker alert» or «Item detected near you,» you can try to find the unwanted AirTag by tapping it. Tap continue and then tap Play Sound or tap Find Nearby to locate the AirTag in question.

If it doesn’t play a sound or you’re unable to find it, the item may no longer be on your person. Apple suggests checking your other belongings or the area around you, just in case. If you want to review the notification at a later time, you can open the Find My app, tap Items and then tap Items Detected With You.

Be aware that there are often «false positives,» when notifications are triggered when someone nearby has a tracker on them. If you’re traveling on a train, plane or bus, waiting in line or seated in a public space, a mistaken tracking alert could stem from glitches or high-density Bluetooth environments.

If you get an alert, though, it’s always a good idea to take it seriously and investigate what might be causing it.

If you do find an AirTag that doesn’t belong to you, hold the top of your iPhone near the tracker until you see a notification. Tap it, and this will launch a website that provides information like its serial number, the last four digits of the phone number or a blurred-out email address of its owner. If the AirTag is marked as «lost,» you may see a message with instructions on how to contact them.

If you’re concerned that the tracker is being used to monitor your movements and location, Apple advises taking a screenshot of the information above for your records. You can then disable the AirTag by pressing down on the back of the AirTag, turning it counterclockwise to remove the cover and removing the battery.

Of course, before making any of these changes, it’s important to come up with a safety plan, especially if you’re afraid you’re being tracked by a current or former abusive partner. Contact your local law enforcement if you feel like your safety is at risk, or the National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-SAFE (7233).