Trump Demands US iPhone Production, Threatens 25% Tariff

President Donald Trump escalated his trade rhetoric Friday, targeting Apple with a potential 25% tariff unless the company manufactures iPhones domestically rather than anywhere else.

Apple iPhone 16 family lineup
The warning came via Truth Social after CEO Tim Cook announced earlier this month that Indian facilities would handle the majority of U.S. iPhone sales. Apple's pivot to India was widely seen as a strategy to sidestep Chinese manufacturing amid ongoing trade tensions.

"I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhones that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else," Trump wrote. "If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S. Thank your [sic] for your attention to this matter!"

The U.S. president brought up the issue just last week during his Middle East trip. "I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday," Trump said during his state visit to Qatar. "He is building all over India."

Apple had reportedly planned to source all 60+ million annual US iPhone sales from India by late 2026. Meanwhile, key supplier Foxconn is investing $1.5 billion to expand Indian production, including a display module facility near Chennai.

The threat sent Apple shares tumbling 3% in pre-market trading Friday.

Trump's demand would force a major shift from Apple's current manufacturing strategy, which relies heavily on Asian suppliers for cost efficiency and established supply chains. Moving iPhone production to the U.S. would likely require massive infrastructure investments and could substantially increase device costs, but there's simply no way Apple could pull off the transition. According to Wedbush, producing iPhones in the U.S. could push prices to ~$3,500 and take 5–10 years to implement, making it unfeasible.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
Prime Day 25 Feature Warm Triad

The Best Early Prime Day Deals on Apple Products

Saturday July 5, 2025 7:22 am PDT by
Amazon is soon to be back with its annual summertime Prime Day event, lasting for four days from July 8-11, the longest Prime Day yet. As it does every year, Prime Day offers shoppers a huge selection of deals across Amazon's storefront, and there are already many deals you can get on sale ahead of the event. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a ...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...

Top Rated Comments

Six0Four Avatar
7 weeks ago

Should have already been transitioning production to the US. Nobody made them do it. Now's the time. Twenty years is long enough.
1) People dont want to screw iphones together for $7/hr
2) People dont want to pay $3000 for an iPhone
3) Trumps term would be long over before factories could even be built and staffed
Score: 149 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MLVC Avatar
7 weeks ago
Does he expect Apple to build a production line overnight? I guess Apple will announce they'll build a production facility in the US, spend 1-1.5 years planning it, drag it on, until he's gone.
Score: 134 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Six0Four Avatar
7 weeks ago
Apple paid 30 billion in taxes in 2024. Trumps a clown.
Score: 110 Votes (Like | Disagree)
roncron Avatar
7 weeks ago
Be cheaper to pay the 25% tax than to build it in the USA.
Score: 107 Votes (Like | Disagree)
neuropsychguy Avatar
7 weeks ago

Should have already been transitioning production to the US. Nobody made them do it. Now's the time. Twenty years is long enough.
You mean Apple should shift production to somewhere where costs are higher (let's ignore skill and quality for now) and do what? Moving production completely to the United States would require decades of work, hundreds of billions of dollars, and huge price increases. Apple's net profit margins are in the 20-30% range, which means there is no way Apple can shift to the U.S. and not raise prices significantly. Apple would have to raise prices by 2 - 5x to move all iPhone production to the United States, assuming a shift was remotely possible.

How would Apple compete with other computer, smartphone, and other companies? Do all of them have to move all their production to the United States for devices going to the United States? Who's going to work in all these factories? Where are all the materials going to be made or mined? People are going to buy a $2000, $3000, or even $5000 iPhone instead of a $1000 iPhone because it's "Made in America"? Do we just give up most of our technology and go back to the early 1900s?

If this tariff happens, all Apple needs to do is list the product price, slap on a "25% Trump tax" (call it that -- Trump would threaten Apple, but Apple would absolutely win the ensuing court case), and sell at the higher prices. We just need every business to be that clear about the effects of tariffs in their pricing. If Trump wants to enact bold, beautiful tariffs, he should take full responsibility for them and accept them as his tax on importers and consumers. Obama got "Obamacare", Trump can own the "Trump tax" of tariffs.
Score: 92 Votes (Like | Disagree)
leonremi Avatar
7 weeks ago
Trump has completely lost it.

I don't think Tim should worry too much.

It would be a miracle if Trump is still alive and in power in 6 months.
Score: 83 Votes (Like | Disagree)