Trump tells Tim Cook not to make more iPhones in India

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Earlier this month, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that the company would begin importing iPhones made in India to meet most of the demand in the US. 

However, Donald Trump expressed strong disapproval of this move during a business event in Doha.

Trump said he had spoken with Tim Cook and asked him to focus on increasing production in the US instead of building more in India. 

He reminded Cook that he had supported Apple in the past and criticized India for having some of the highest tariffs, extra taxes on imports in the world. 

Trump told Cook that if Apple wanted to support India, it could build there, but he preferred the company to invest more in American manufacturing. (Via: Tech Crunch)

Although Trump claimed that Apple would now increase production in the US, he did not provide any details about how or when this would happen. 

Earlier this year, Apple had already announced plans to invest $500 billion over four years to boost its US manufacturing.

These plans included opening new facilities, hiring over 20,000 workers, and even launching a manufacturing academy to train people.

Trump’s comments came shortly after India approved a $435 million project by Foxconn, one of Apple’s major suppliers, to produce chips in India.

This move is part of Apple’s larger strategy to expand production in India and reduce dependence on China.

In fact, Bloomberg reports that Apple already makes about 20% of its iPhones in India. The Financial Times also reported that Apple aims to manufacture and ship all iPhones sold in the US from India by 2026.

While Apple is expanding its manufacturing in both the US and India, Trump is pushing the company to focus more on American production. 

At the same time, Apple is steadily growing its operations in India as part of a broader shift away from relying too heavily on China.

What do you think about Trump’s comments? Do you think Apple should focus on US manufacturing? Tell us below in the comments, or via our Twitter or Facebook.