US President Donald Trump issued a fresh warning to Apple on Friday, saying the company should face a 25% tariff if it manufactures iPhones in “India or anyplace else.” Trump asserted that he had already informed Apple CEO Tim Cook that he expects iPhones sold in the US to be made in America.Trump took to his Truth Social platform, directly addressing the Apple CEO claiming that, “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 US Thank your for your attention to this matter!” he added.
The remarks come at a time when Apple is aggressively expanding its manufacturing footprint in India. The company, along with its key suppliers, has been shifting production out of China, a move accelerated by pandemic-related disruptions and ongoing geopolitical tensions between Washington and Beijing.During a previous state visit to Qatar, Trump recounted a conversation with Cook in which he criticised Apple’s increasing investment in India.Trump said, “I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday. I said to him, ‘my friend, I treated you very good. You’re coming here with $500 billion, but now I hear you’re building all over India.”“I don’t want you building in India. India can take care of themselves,” Trump reportedly told Cook on May 15.
Trump was referring to Apple’s earlier pledge to invest $500 billion in the United States, announced in February.During the technology firm’s first-quarter earnings announcement in early May, Cook stated that “a majority of iPhones sold in the US will have India as their country of origin”.Apple has increased its production in India, aiming to manufacture approximately 25% of global iPhones in the country within the next few years, whilst reducing its dependence on China, where about 90% of its flagship smartphones are currently assembled.The company produced roughly $22 billion worth of iPhones in India in the year ending March 2025, showing a 60% rise from the previous year.At present, India manufactures one in five iPhones globally, demonstrating the company’s efforts to distribute production beyond China amidst ongoing trade disputes.
