President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a tariff of at least 25 percent on Apple iPhones not manufactured in the United States.
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.
Donald Trump warns Apple of tariffs
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.
As Breitbart News previously reported:
Bloomberg reports that in a recent conversation with Apple CEO Tim Cook, President Donald Trump expressed his displeasure with the company’s plans to expand iPhone production in India. Trump, who is currently on a state visit to Qatar, said, “I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday. He is building all over India. I don’t want you building in India.”
This latest development marks an escalation in Trump’s pressure on Apple and Cook to increase domestic manufacturing. The two met at the White House on Tuesday, according to Politico, and Cook has previously shown support for Trump by contributing $1 million to his inauguration fund and attending the event in January. Apple has also announced plans to invest $500 billion in U.S. development, including the production of AI servers in Houston.
During its May 1 earnings report, Apple stated that it anticipates an additional $900 million in costs related to tariffs in the current quarter. CEO Tim Cook acknowledged the difficulty in predicting the tariff outlook beyond June. Meanwhile, Foxconn, one of Apple’s primary iPhone assembly partners, is investing $1.5 billion to expand its facilities in India, as reported by the Financial Times.
In addition to the tariff threat on Apple, Trump also called for a 50 percent tariff on products imported from the European Union. These posts collectively indicate a resurgence in trade tensions after the U.S. had temporarily lowered many of its levies, including those in an agreement with China.
Read more at CNBC here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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