President Donald Trump took aim at Apple on Friday, warning the tech giant that it could face a hefty 25% tariff on iPhones that are not assembled within the United States. The ultimatum increases the pressure on Apple CEO Tim Cook to shift operations away from Asia and into the U.S.
“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,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
“If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the US. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Following Trump’s remarks, Apple’s stock took a hit, tumbling 4% during early premarket activity.
Apple’s primary manufacturing hubs remain overseas, especially in China, and currently the company does not produce any of its smartphones domestically.
Dan Ives, an analyst with WedBush, dismissed the prospect of U.S.-made iPhones as wholly unrealistic. “This would result in an iPhone price point that is a non-starter for Cupertino and translate into iPhone prices of ~$3,500 if it was made in the US which is not realistic as this would take 5-10 years to shift production to the US,” Ives stated in an analyst note.
Trump’s latest message comes on the heels of earlier calls this month for Apple to halt expansion in India and redirect its efforts to American soil instead of attempting to reduce dependence on China.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Cook and Trump met in person at the White House this week to discuss business issues.
Earlier this year, Apple pledged to invest $500 billion over four years in its U.S. operations, spreading that investment across facilities and job creation in nine states. However, the commitment made no mention of establishing domestic iPhone production.
A source cited by Reuters revealed that Apple plans to manufacture the majority of its iPhones for the U.S. market in India by the end of 2026, and has begun accelerating those efforts in anticipation of steeper tariffs that may arise from continued operations in China.
Trump, along with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, has floated the idea that Apple could manufacture iPhones domestically, despite the challenges.
Although iPhones and other electronics were left out of the sweeping 145% reciprocal tariffs on Chinese goods unveiled last month, Trump has continued to push the idea of reshoring production.
This pressure campaign comes shortly after the U.S. and China agreed to a 90-day pause in their trade hostilities, offering markets a brief period of stability.
Despite the fact that more than 60 million smartphones are purchased annually in the U.S., the country currently lacks any facilities dedicated to smartphone manufacturing.

{Matzav.com}