Trump Says He Told Apple Chief Tim Cook Not To Build In India: 'They Can Take Care Of Themselves'
Trump further asserted that following his conversation, Apple is now set to “up” its production within the US.
US President Donald Trump, during his Doha visit, revealed that he advised Apple CEO Tim Cook against expanding manufacturing operations in India — unless it was solely to serve the Indian market. The comment, made on May 15, reflects Trump’s persistent push to redirect American corporate investments back to the United States.
“Told Apple CEO Tim Cook we're not interested in you building in India, they can take care of themselves," Trump said in the Qatari capital, as quoted by Bloomberg.
Trump further asserted that following his conversation, Apple is now set to “up” its production within the US — a move he sees as a direct result of his intervention.
India Dangles Tariff-Free Access
In an unexpected twist, Trump claimed that New Delhi has offered a major trade concession. “India has offered us a deal where basically they are willing to literally charge us no tariff,” he said. The remark comes amid ongoing efforts by the Indian government to position itself as a global manufacturing hub, especially for electronics.
Despite Trump’s scepticism toward Apple expanding in India, the tech giant has been accelerating its local production efforts. According to a Reuters report from April, Apple is working toward making the majority of iPhones sold in the US at facilities in India by the end of 2026. This is part of a broader strategy to reduce reliance on China amid geopolitical tensions and higher import tariffs.
Apple’s India Expansion Already Underway
Even as Trump discourages offshoring to India, Apple has been quietly scaling up operations there. In March, Apple shipped around 600 tons of iPhones worth $2 billion to the US from India — a record-breaking volume for its local manufacturing partners Tata and Foxconn. Notably, Foxconn alone contributed $1.3 billion worth of smartphones, Reuters reported.
Manufacturing iPhones in India, however, comes with a cost premium. Reuters noted that production costs are 5–8% higher than in China, and can rise to 10% in some cases. Yet the shift appears to be a calculated move to mitigate future risks from trade policy fluctuations involving China.
In April, the US administration imposed a 26% duty on imports from India — significantly lower than the over 100% tariffs applied to Chinese goods. Washington has since suspended most of those tariffs for three months, excluding China from the pause.
While Trump remains vocal about reshoring American manufacturing, Apple’s global supply chain decisions continue to reflect a balancing act between political pressure, cost efficiency, and market access.
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