US President Donald Trump has made it clear to Apple CEO Tim Cook that he doesn’t want the tech giant to ‘Make in India.’ Trump, it appears, has frowned on Apple’s moves to step up assembly and production of Apple products in India. In the period ending in March, Apple's iPhone production in India reached $22 billion, showing a nearly 60% increase compared to the previous year.
"He is building all over India. I don't want you building in India,” Trump reportedly said. Trump indicated that following their discussion, Apple would increase its manufacturing operations in the United States.
The American president's remarks create uncertainty for Apple's strategy to source the majority of US-bound iPhones from India by late 2024, as the company seeks to diversify beyond China due to tariff concerns and diplomatic tensions. Currently, Apple's iPhone manufacturing is concentrated in China, with no production facilities in the United States.
The majority of India-manufactured iPhones are produced at Foxconn Technology Group's facility in southern India. Another significant supplier is Tata Group's electronics division, which acquired Wistron Corp.'s local operations and manages Pegatron Corp.'s Indian facilities. Both Tata and Foxconn are expanding their presence with new facilities and increased production capacity in southern India.
Trump also highlighted India's substantial trade barriers, noting the difficulties in selling American products in the world's most populated nation. However, he acknowledged that India has proposed reducing tariffs on US goods as part of negotiations concerning import duties.