Trump Warns Apple and Samsung of 25% Tariff on Foreign made iPhones
Trump demands Apple and others shift production to the U.S., threatening a 25% tariff on foreign-made smartphones by June’s end.
Former President Donald Trump has issued a fresh warning to Apple, Samsung, and other smartphone manufacturers, threatening a 25 percent tariff on devices like iPhones unless production is shifted to the United States.
In a Truth Social post, Trump stated, “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 U.S. Thank your for your attention to this matter!”
Later that day, Trump confirmed to reporters at the White House that the proposed tariff would also apply to Samsung and other similar device makers, warning it could take effect by the end of June. “It would be also Samsung and anybody that makes that product, otherwise it wouldn’t be fair,” he said.
The announcement comes after a week of rising tensions. Trump recently claimed he had a “little problem with Tim Cook,” amid reports that Apple plans to manufacture all U.S.-bound iPhones in India. On Thursday, the Financial Times revealed that Foxconn, Apple’s primary manufacturing partner, is building a $1.5 billion plant in Chennai, India, to produce iPhone displays.
Trump elaborated further, saying, “He said he’s going to India to build plants. I said, that’s okay to go to India, but you’re not going to sell into here without tariffs, and that’s the way it is.”
Currently, India falls under a baseline 10 percent tariff for global imports, while Chinese imports face a 30 percent rate, which could increase after a temporary tariff reduction ends in August. Most of Apple’s products have previously been exempt from those tariffs, but the evolving trade environment continues to fuel the tech giant’s diversification strategy.
Despite Apple’s pledge to invest $500 billion in the U.S. over the next four years, and CEO Tim Cook’s personal $1 million donation to Trump’s 2017 inauguration, industry analysts remain skeptical of U.S.-based iPhone manufacturing. As the late Steve Jobs once told President Obama in 2011, “Those jobs aren’t coming back.”
Trump’s latest tariff threat adds further uncertainty for global tech supply chains, particularly as Apple accelerates its shift away from China toward India.
