China called on the United States to "completely cancel" its reciprocal tariffs after Washington announced exemptions for consumer electronics and key chipmaking equipment.

"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 on Sunday.

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.

Defiant stance

It came as retaliatory Chinese import tariffs of 125 percent on US goods took effect on 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.

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