President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Apple, demanding that the tech giant manufacture its iPhones in the United States or face a tariff of at least 25% on products sold in the US. Trump made the announcement on his social media platform Truth Social, stating that he had long informed Apple CEO Tim Cook of his expectation that iPhones sold in America be produced domestically not in India or any other country.
“If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S.,” Trump wrote. The president expressed displeasure during a recent Middle East trip over Apple’s plans to build iPhone manufacturing facilities in India, telling Cook, “I had a little problem with Tim Cook. I said to him, ‘Tim, you’re my friend. I treated you very good. You’re coming in with $500 billion. But now I hear you’re building all over India. I don’t want you building in India.’”
The threat of tariffs could significantly increase the price of iPhones in the US and impact Apple’s profits. Apple currently manufactures the majority of its iPhones in China and has no domestic smartphone production facilities, though it has pledged to invest billions and hire more workers in the US over the next few years.
Following Trump’s announcement, Apple’s shares fell by around 3-4% in premarket trading. Industry experts note that relocating iPhone production to the US in the near term would be highly challenging due to complex supply chains and manufacturing infrastructure.
Apple has not yet publicly responded to Trump’s tariff threat. The situation highlights ongoing tensions between the administration’s push for reshoring manufacturing jobs and the realities of global tech supply chains.
