US President Donald Trump has expressed displeasure at Apple’s plans to source the production of its US-bound iPhones from India. Speaking in Qatar, Trump said he has a “little problem” with Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, and referred to the company’s plans to switch US-bound iPhone assembly from China to India. Trump added that he prefers Apple to increase its US production instead of building in India.
The production of iPhones is complex and involves more than 1,000 components sourced from around the world, with much of the assembly currently taking place in China. However, India has emerged as an alternative due to trade tensions between Washington and Beijing. Despite this, Trump argued that Apple should prioritize the US for its production.
Trump also mentioned that India has offered the US a trade deal that proposes zero tariffs for American goods, but there were no further details provided.
In terms of practicality, moving iPhone assembly to the US would be costly, with one estimate suggesting that the cost of an iPhone would triple. Apple has not commented on Trump’s remarks.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/may/15/trump-little-problem-tim-cook-apple-india-production-iphones
