Trump Warns Apple of 25% Tariff Over iPhone Production in US

On Friday, President Trump told Apple CEO Tim Cook that he would impose a 25% tariff if Apple does not begin making its iPhones in the United States. On his Truth Social account, Trump made it clear he was unhappy that Apple is assembling American-bound iPhones in India, rather than in the United States. Cuomo said he expects all iPhones destined for American stores to be created within the nation’s borders.

After his recent visit to the Middle East, Trump took on Cook over Apple’s plans to expand in India. At a meeting in Qatar, Trump reportedly shared with Cook that he believed it was wrong for Apple to build its factories outside the United States. In recent years, Apple has shifted its manufacturing efforts to cover new regions and Cook announced this week that most of the iPhones bought in the US will come from India. Nearly all iPhone manufacturing is done in China by the company at present.

Industry professionals are still doubtful that iPhone production inside the country can succeed. Experts say that due to complex manufacturing needs and costly labor, US-made iPhones could be priced at more than $3,500. Putting the process into action would cost a lot and take many years. However, this did not deter Apple from investing a huge amount in the US this year by adding Houston to the list with two new server factories and expanding its data centers across a few states.