US President Donald Trump pushed back against suggestions that Friday's pausing of "reciprocal" tariffs was letting countries "off the hook" for their levies on US imports. Writing on social media Trump said: "There was no tariff exception announced on Friday."

President Donald Trump’s total 145% tariffs on all goods from China was expected to hit tech companies like Apple, which relies on Chinese factories to assemble the iPhone.

Smartphones, laptop computers, memory chips and other electronics will be exempt from President Trump’s so-called reciprocal tariffs, another step back that could ease some consumer concerns about an immediate jump in costs for tech products imported from China.

China said Monday that exports soared more than 12 percent last month, beating expectations as businesses rushed to get ahead of swingeing tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on

China’s exports rebounded in March, providing a boost to the economy ahead of the massive tariff hikes imposed against it by the US this month.