In a fiery warning, President Trump says smartphones made abroad could face steep tariffs, urging companies like Apple and Samsung to bring production back to America.
May 24, 2025 |
US President Donald Trump has reignited his push to bring manufacturing back to American soil, this time directly threatening the global smartphone industry. On Friday, Trump warned that all smartphones made outside the United States — including Apple’s iPhones and Samsung’s devices — could soon face a 25% import tax.
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“It would be more. It would be also Samsung and anybody that makes that product. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fair,” Trump declared at the Oval Office. “When they build their plant here, there is no tariff.”
Trump claimed to have already spoken with Apple CEO Tim Cook, telling him directly that iPhones sold in the US should be made in America, not in India or elsewhere.
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“If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the US,” he said in a social media post.
Why It Matters
Trump’s comments come at a time when Apple and other tech giants are diversifying their manufacturing away from China, ramping up operations in countries like India and Vietnam. In the last financial year alone, Apple produced $22 billion worth of iPhones in India, a staggering 60% jump from the previous year.
But now, Trump’s warning threatens to derail these global supply chain strategies — or at least make them far more expensive. Analysts say moving iPhone production to the US could skyrocket the cost of a $1,200 iPhone to as much as $3,500.
The Samsung Factor
Trump was clear that the tariff threat is not limited to Apple. Samsung, which manufactures most of its phones in South Korea and Vietnam, would also be affected.
“I had an understanding with Tim that he wouldn’t be doing this,” Trump said, referring to Apple’s India expansion. “He said he’s going to India to build plants. I said, ‘That’s OK, but you’re not going to sell here without tariffs.’”
Growing Tensions
The warning comes days after Trump criticized Apple’s expansion in India, calling it a “little problem” and urging Tim Cook to up production in the US instead.
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Meanwhile, experts warn that this move could raise prices for American consumers as companies pass on the cost of tariffs. It also reflects the deepening trade tensions that have forced global tech giants to rethink their manufacturing strategies.
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Trump tariffs, Apple India production, US smartphone manufacturing, Samsung production, global supply chain, 25% import tax, Apple CEO Tim Cook, US trade policies, India manufacturing expansion