On Friday, US President Donald Trump warned Apple of a 25 percent tariff if the company does not manufacture iPhones in the United States, causing a significant drop in its share price. Apple has emerged as a primary target of Trump's frustration with companies that maintain production abroad, and his decision to specifically target one company with tariffs is quite rare.
Although the iPhone is designed in the United States, the majority of its assembly takes place in China, a country currently embroiled in a contentious trade war with the US. To address this issue, Apple has announced plans to shift some production to other countries, including India. However, the US president has stated that this move will not resolve the underlying problem. In a post on Truth Social, Trump mentioned that he had previously informed Tim Cook of Apple that he expects iPhones sold in the United States to be manufactured domestically, rather than in India or elsewhere.
"If that’s not the situation, Apple will need to pay a tariff of at least 25 percent to the U.S.," he added. Trump's remarks on Friday mirrored his previous statements made during a trip to Qatar, where he encouraged Apple to relocate iPhone production to the United States.
