Trump Urges Apple to Shift iPhone Production Back to the U.S., Opposes Expansion in India
Donald Trump has voiced his concern over Apple’s plans to expand iPhone production in India, urging the company to redirect its manufacturing efforts back to the United States. The former U.S. President made these remarks during a business summit held in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
Trump said he met with Apple CEO Tim Cook and asked him to scale back investments in India in favor of increasing production in the U.S.:
“I said to him, ‘Tim, you’re my friend, I’ve treated you very good. They say you’re investing $500 billion, but now I hear you are 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 one of the highest tariff nations in the world.’”
Apple has not yet responded officially to Trump’s comments.
Earlier this year, Apple announced plans to invest $500 billion over the next four years to expand its U.S. manufacturing footprint. The initiative includes building new facilities across various locations, hiring over 20,000 employees, and launching a manufacturing academy.
Trump’s statements came just one day after India approved a $435 million Foxconn project to produce Apple chips in the country. This project is part of Apple’s broader effort to reduce its reliance on China by increasing production capacity in India.
Currently, Apple manufactures about 20% of its iPhones in India. According to company plans, by 2026, all iPhones sold in the U.S. will be produced in India and imported to the American market.
The situation highlights how Apple’s global manufacturing strategy is increasingly being shaped by political and economic pressures.
