Earlier this month, Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed the company’s decision to begin importing iPhones produced in India to fulfill the majority of demand in the United States—a plan which has drawn immediate criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Speaking at a business summit in Doha, Trump disclosed details of a recent conversation with Cook, in which he directly requested the Apple CEO refrain from further manufacturing expansion in India. Instead, Trump urged Cook to significantly increase Apple’s production within the United States.
“I said to him, ‘Tim, you’re my friend, I’ve treated you very well. You’re investing $500 billion over here, yet you’re expanding operations all over India. I don’t want you building in India unless you’re servicing the Indian market, especially considering India’s tariffs are among the highest globally,'” Trump stated during the summit.
Trump, who has vigorously pursued tariff hikes across international markets, went on to claim that Apple agreed to increase manufacturing within the United States. However, he provided no concrete timelines or specific details to support his assertion. Apple has not yet responded publicly or confirmed Trump’s remarks.
Apple’s U.S. manufacturing plans indeed remain ambitious—the company previously announced a commitment of $500 billion over the next four years toward domestic production initiatives. This substantial investment includes the development of several new manufacturing facilities, employment of over 20,000 additional workers, and the establishment of a specialized manufacturing training academy.
The timing of Trump’s comments closely followed a recent Indian government approval for a $435 million Foxconn project aimed at producing Apple chips domestically. This forms part of Apple’s broader strategy of reducing its heavy reliance on China by creating diverse production points elsewhere, notably India.
Currently, estimates suggest India accounts for approximately 20% of global iPhone production. Earlier this year, reports from Bloomberg and the Financial Times indicated Apple is planning to shift all iPhone manufacturing for the U.S. market to India by the year 2026.
