President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Apple CEO Tim Cook in a post to Truth Social, stating that iPhones sold in the United States must be manufactured domestically, or else face a tariff of at least 25 percent. This announcement comes amidst escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and various countries, including China, where the majority of Apple’s iPhone production currently takes place.
Trump wrote, “I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhone’s that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else. If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25 percent must be paid by Apple to the U.S.” The threat caused Apple’s shares to fall by approximately three percent in premarket trading.
The iPhone, Apple’s flagship product, is primarily manufactured in China, although the company has been shifting some of its production to India due to the country’s more favorable trade relationship with the United States. However, moving the entire iPhone production to the U.S. could prove to be a costly endeavor for Apple. Trump previously urged Apple to move production to America instead of India, which Apple has seemingly ignored.
