U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 15 in Doha, Qatar, that he told Apple CEO Tim Cook not to build factories in India unless they are only meant to serve the Indian market.
“I told Tim Cook that we don’t want Apple to build in India unless it’s for India. They can take care of themselves,” Trump said during an event with business leaders, according to Bloomberg.
Trump said that because of this conversation, Apple has agreed to increase production in the United States.
He also mentioned that India offered to remove tariffs (taxes on imported goods) for U.S. products. Trump added, “India is one of the highest tariff countries, which makes it hard to sell products there. But they’ve now offered to drop tariffs completely.”
According to a report, Trump told Cook, “We’ve supported you even when you built factories in China for years. But now I hear you’re expanding in India. We’re not okay with that unless it’s just for the Indian market.”
Meanwhile, Apple is planning to make most of the iPhones sold in the U.S. at factories in India by the end of 2026. This move is part of Apple’s efforts to reduce reliance on China, especially as the U.S. imposes higher tariffs on Chinese imports.
Currently, Apple sells over 60 million iPhones in the U.S. every year, with about 80% made in China. However, making iPhones in India is 5–10% more expensive than in China, according to Reuters.
Also See: Trump’s Gulf Trip: The Shadiest Show of Influence Money Can Buy
In March, Apple shipped about $2 billion worth of iPhones from India to the U.S., which was a record shipment. Companies like Tata and Foxconn are leading this production, with Foxconn alone exporting $1.3 billion worth of phones.
In April, the U.S. imposed a 26% import duty on Indian products, which was much lower than the over 100% imposed on Chinese goods. However, the U.S. has paused most of these duties for three months—except those on China.
In 2024, Apple made around 40–45 million iPhones in India, about 18–20% of its total global production. Of these, 14–15 million were exported to the U.S., 13 million to other countries, and about 12 million were sold in India.
Apple CEO Tim Cook recently said that most iPhones sold in the U.S. during the current quarter will be made in India. He also added that nearly all iPads, MacBooks, Apple Watches, and AirPods sold in the U.S. will come from Vietnam.
Also Read: India’s Manufacturing Dream Faces a New Threat—And It’s Coming From Trump’s Tariffs
“Apple’s U.S. sales will mostly feature products made in India and Vietnam, while China will still be the main source for products sold in other parts of the world,” Cook said during an earnings call.
