AsianFin -- China has quietly rolled back steep retaliatory tariffs on certain U.S.-made semiconductors, CNN reported, citing three import agencies based in Shenzhen, the southern tech hub.

The agencies told CNN on Friday that the exemptions—applying to integrated circuits, or microchips—were discovered late Thursday and have not been publicly announced by Chinese authorities.

The move comes just two weeks after China raised tariffs to 125% on all U.S. goods, a response to President Donald Trump’s sharp escalation of duties on Chinese imports, which were pushed up to an average of 145%.

While Beijing has publicly maintained a posture of resilience in the face of intensifying trade tensions, these quiet exemptions hint at a more pragmatic approach behind the scenes—acknowledging the country's continued reliance on certain high-tech U.S. components that cannot be easily replaced.

So far, China’s General Administration of Customs, along with customs offices in Shenzhen and Zhongshan, have denied knowledge of any such tariff adjustments.