Donald Trump (left), and Tim Cook
US President Donald Trump said on Friday (local time) Apple is free to build factories in India, but warned that if it does so, the company will face tariffs when selling its products in the United States.Trump made these comments on Friday while signing executive orders related to nuclear energy in the White House’s Oval Office. He referred to a conversation with Apple CEO Tim Cook. “…But I had an understanding with Tim (Cook) that he wouldn’t be doing this. 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,” Trump said.He added, “We’re talking about the iPhone. If they’re going to sell it in America, I want it to be built in the United States.”Trump threatened not only Apple but also other smartphone manufacturers with a 25 per cent tariff unless their devices are built in the United States.Trump initially said the tariff would apply only to Apple — an unusual move to single out a specific company in trade policy. However, he later expanded the threat to include all smartphone makers.“It would be also Samsung and anybody that makes that product, otherwise it wouldn’t be fair,” Trump told reporters in Washington, adding that the new tariffs would take effect by the “end of June.”
Earlier the same day, Trump posted on social media about the issue, saying iPhones sold in the US should be made domestically. He also warned of a 25 per cent tariff if Apple does not follow this.Also read: Donald Trump’s fresh blow for Apple’s ‘Make in India’ plans; announces 25% tariff on iPhones made outside US“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. If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25 per cent must be paid by Apple to the US. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he said in the post.
This is not the first time Trump has spoken about Apple’s production plans. During his recent trip to Doha, he said he had asked the Apple CEO not to expand manufacturing in India and to focus instead on building in the US.“We have Apple, as you know, that’s coming in, and I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday,” Trump said in Doha while addressing business leaders.“I said to him, ‘Tim, you’re my friend. I treated you very good. You’re coming here with USD 500 billion but now I hear you building all over India. I don’t want you building in India. You can build in India if you want to take care of India because India is the highest, one of the highest tariff nations in the world. It’s very hard to sell into India. And they’ve (India) offered us a deal where, basically they’re willing to literally charge us no tariff,'” he said.Meanwhile, earlier in May, Cook had said during Apple’s Q2 2025 earnings call that existing tariffs are determined by the country where the product is made.
