 "Trump threatens 25% tariff on Apple if it sources iPhones from India")
US President Donald Trump on Friday (May 23) again slammed Apple CEO Tim Cook for manufacturing and assembling iPhones in India, asserting that he will impose 25 per cent tariffs on the company if the phones sold in the US are not produced locally.
“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% must be paid by Apple to the U.S. Thank your for your attention to this matter!” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.
This comes after Trump last week expressed his frustration over Apple’s plans to build manufacturing plants in India.
While speaking during his Gulf tour on May 15, Trump recalled his conversation with Cook on May 14 and said, “He is building all over India. I don’t want you building in India. India can take care of itself.”
Not interested in you building in India, they can take care of themselves says US President Donald Trump To Apple CEO Tim Cook@realDonaldTrump @Apple @tim_cook pic.twitter.com/e4UmwMpKZD
— CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18News) May 15, 2025
Apple production in India
Most Apple iPhones are assembled at Foxconn Technology Group’s factory in southern India. Additionally, the Tata Group is also involved in setting up iPhone assembly plants in India. According to 2023 media reports, Tata’s factory in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, was expected to have around 20 assembly lines and generate employment opportunities for approximately 50,000 people within the first two years of operation.
Apple assembled $22 billion worth of iPhones in India in the 12 months through March, increasing production by nearly 60 per cent over the previous year.
As Apple looks to diversify its supply chains away from China, the US company has ramped up iPhone assembly in India in recent years, working with suppliers like Foxconn and Pegatron. Cook had mentioned earlier that the majority of the iPhones sold in the US this quarter will be manufactured in India, owing to the trade war between the US and China.
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