President Trump criticized Apple’s plan to produce more iPhones in India and urged the company to manufacture its best-selling iPhones in the United States. He also mentioned that India has proposed canceling import tariffs on American goods.
On Thursday, during a speech in Qatar, President Trump stated that he had a “minor clash” with Apple CEO Tim Cook, as Cook confirmed last week that the Indian factory would supply a majority of iPhones sold in the US in the coming months.
Expressing dissatisfaction with Apple’s decision, Trump told Cook, “We’ve been very good to Apple. For many years, we’ve tolerated all the factories you’ve built in China. We’re not interested in you building them in India. Let India take care of itself. They’re doing very well. We want you to build your factories here (in the US).”
Following the conversation, the President mentioned that Apple would “increase production in the US.” Apple has yet to respond to media requests for comments.
On April 8th, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated that President Trump had indeed considered manufacturing products like iPhones in the US.
Leavitt mentioned that Trump “absolutely” believes that technology products like iPhones can be produced in the US. “He believes we have the workforce, we have the human resources, we have the resources to do this,” she said.
In February, Apple pledged to invest $500 billion in the US during Trump’s administration, including producing chips and servers for artificial intelligence.
Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross mentioned last month that Cook had told him that the US needs “robotics” to replicate the “scale and precision” of iPhone manufacturing in China.
“He will manufacture here,” Ross told CNBC, “and Americans will be the technical personnel driving these factories, not the ones screwing screws.”
“Americans will have high-paying jobs in such factories,” he added.
Technology analysis firm Counterpoint’s research director Tarun Pathak told Bloomberg that Trump aims to further localize Apple production and establish supply chains in the US, but this cannot be achieved overnight. “The cost of producing iPhones in the US will also be much higher than assembling iPhones in India,” he said.
As of a financial document from November 2024, the “vast majority” of Apple’s manufacturing operations are completed in China, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Apple’s official supplier list—covering 98% of its material, manufacturing, and assembly expenses—is primarily focused on countries with significant tariff impacts.
Currently, most iPhones are produced in China, but Apple and its suppliers have been accelerating the pace of shifting production from China. This process began due to the impact of China’s COVID eradication policy on Apple’s supply chain in China. Following the outbreak of a new round of trade war between the US and China, Apple has been speeding up the transfer of iPhone production from China to India.
Most iPhones manufactured in India are assembled by Foxconn Technology Group in their factories in southern India. Tata Group’s electronics manufacturing division is another important supplier, having acquired Wistron’s Indian business and running operations in India with Pegatron. According to previous reports by Bloomberg, Tata and Foxconn are also constructing new factories in southern India to enhance capacity.
Apple’s iPhone factories in India produce over 40 million iPhones annually, accounting for approximately 20% of Apple’s annual production. As of the 12 months leading up to March of this year, Apple assembled iPhones worth $22 billion in India, marking a nearly 60% increase from the previous year.
On Thursday, Trump also mentioned negotiations with India regarding tariffs. He stated that India has proposed canceling import duties on American goods.
“India is one of the countries with the highest tariffs in the world, making it difficult for us to sell products there,” Trump said in Qatar on Thursday, “They’ve presented us with a deal where they basically agree not to impose tariffs on us… They used to be the highest-tariff nation, but now they’re saying they won’t impose tariffs.”