Saturday, March 29, 2025
In a strong message aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing, former U.S. President Donald Trump has once again warned Apple CEO Tim Cook that iPhones sold in the United States must be manufactured within the country—not in India or any other foreign nation. Trump also threatened to impose a minimum 25% tariff on Apple if the company fails to comply.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote:
“I had already informed Tim Cook about this a long time ago. I hope Apple will ensure that iPhones sold in the U.S. are made in the U.S., not in India or anywhere else. If this doesn’t happen, Apple will face a minimum 25% tariff on all imported devices.”
Trump had previously urged Apple to halt iPhone production in India and instead increase its manufacturing footprint within the United States. Advocating for his “America First” economic agenda during his second term, Trump reiterated that Apple must shift its production operations homeward.
Apple’s interest in countries like India and China stems from:
Lower labor costs
A skilled workforce
Well-established supply chain infrastructure
Compared to the U.S., manufacturing in these regions is significantly more cost-effective. Currently, iPhones manufactured in India are assembled by Foxconn at its factory in Tamil Nadu. Tata Electronics, which manages operations formerly run by Pegatron, is another major player in India’s iPhone production ecosystem.
Both Tata and Foxconn are expanding their operations, building new plants and boosting their production capacity to meet Apple’s growing global demands.
According to S&P Global, iPhone sales in the U.S. were projected to reach 75.9 million units in 2024. In March alone, India exported 3.1 million iPhones to the U.S. Furthermore, India’s Union Electronics Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced in April that Apple exported ₹1.5 lakh crore worth of iPhones from India in the last fiscal year.
Trump’s latest comments signal a renewed push for economic nationalism and domestic job creation. If enforced, a high tariff on imported Apple products could disrupt Apple’s supply chain, impact prices, and alter the dynamics of U.S.-India tech trade. Meanwhile, Apple must navigate political pressures while balancing operational efficiency and global competitiveness.
