Why Trump Is Urging Apple to Halt iPhone Production in India

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - United States President Donald Trump has urged Apple CEO Tim Cook to halt the expansion of iPhone production in India. Trump made this request during his state visit to Qatar.

"I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday. He is building all over India," said Trump, quoted from MacRumors on Friday, May 16, 2025.

According to Trump, India offers a zero-tariff trade deal for products from the United States. However, the U.S. President expressed disagreement with Apple's production expansion in the country.

In a conversation with Tim Cook, Trump said, "We put up with all the plants you built in China for years. We are not interested in you building in India."

Following all these discussions, Trump continued, Apple plans to increase production in the United States. According to some reviews, Trump's push could potentially disrupt Apple's strategy to shift a significant portion of iPhone production from China to India by the end of 2026.

Based on Apple's fiscal data, the total value of iPhone production in India reached US$22 billion as of March 2025, up nearly 60 percent from the previous year. Apple and its manufacturing partners have been accelerating the transfer of their production base from China since the operational disruptions caused by COVID-19.

The trade war between the U.S. and China also contributed to this shift. The competition has intensified since Trump returned to the White House, particularly due to fluctuating import tariffs on products from China.

Foxconn, an electronics manufacturing company in the southern region of the country, assembles most iPhones made in India. Tata Group's electronic manufacturing unit, which has acquired Wistron's local business and handles Pegatron's operations in India, is also a major supplier to Apple.

In Apple's recent financial report, Tim Cook stated that their company is no longer dependent on a single production location. The tech giant is opening new bases. "What we learned some time ago, having everything in one location had too much risk with it," he said.

Cook also mentioned Apple's contribution in the U.S., including a plan to invest $500 billion over the next four years. The iOS manufacturer is also developing production facilities in several U.S. states. One example is a new factory in Texas for advanced server production, scheduled to start operating by the end of this year.

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