"We urge the US to... take a big step to correct its mistakes, completely cancel the wrong practice of 'reciprocal tariffs' and return to the right path of mutual respect", a commerce ministry spokesperson said in a statement.

A notice late Friday by the US Customs and Border Protection office said smartphones, laptops, memory chips and other products would be excluded from the global levies President Donald Trump rolled out this month.

Beijing's commerce ministry said the exemptions were a "small step" by Washington and China was "evaluating the impact" of the decision.

It came as retaliatory Chinese import tariffs of 125 percent on US goods took effect Saturday, with Beijing standing defiant against its biggest trade partner.

The exemptions will benefit US tech companies like Nvidia and Dell, as well as Apple, which makes iPhones and other premium products in China.

Most Chinese goods still face a blanket 145 percent levy after the country was excluded from a 90-day tariff reprieve.

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