Earlier this month, Apple CEO Tim Cook dinner mentioned the corporate would begin importing iPhones manufactured in India to satisfy the majority of demand stateside. It appears U.S. President Donald Trump will not be proud of that.
Talking at a enterprise summit in Doha, Trump said he met with Cook dinner and requested him to cease constructing in India and as a substitute improve manufacturing in america.
“I mentioned to him, ‘Tim, you’re my pal, I’ve handled you superb. You’re arising with $500 billion, however now I hear you’re constructing throughout India. I don’t need you constructing in India. You possibly can construct in India, if you wish to handle India as a result of India is without doubt one of the highest tariff nations on the earth’,” Trump mentioned.
Trump, who has been on a tariff offensive towards a lot of the world, mentioned Apple would now be “upping” manufacturing within the U.S., although he didn’t give a timeline or any specifics.
Apple didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Earlier this yr, Apple mentioned that it might spend $500 billion over the next four years to develop manufacturing within the U.S. by organising amenities in numerous places, opening new models, hiring over 20,000 folks, and opening a producing academy.
Trump’s feedback come a day after India permitted a $435 million Foxconn project to fabricate Apple chips within the nation. The corporate has had formidable plans to ramp up manufacturing in India and create different manufacturing models that scale back its reliance on China.
A Bloomberg report in April suggested Apple already produces 20% of its iPhones in India. On the time, the Monetary Instances additionally reported that Apple planned to import all iPhones sold in the U.S. from India by 2026.