Han media: "Finally surpassed China", 44% of US imported smartphones come from India!
On September 5, South Korean media "Herald Economy" published an article stating that India became the largest smartphone exporter to the United States in the second quarter of this year, surpassing China for the first time. This is because smartphone companies such as Apple are rapidly shifting the manufacturing supply chain of products sold to the United States from China to India.
According to market research company Canalys, smartphones assembled in India accounted for 44% of smartphones imported by the United States in the second quarter, more than doubling from 13% in the same period last year. In terms of total shipments, it surged by 240%. On the other hand, the share of Chinese smartphones dropped sharply from 61% to 25% compared to the same period last year and was also overtaken by Vietnam (30%).
Apple is considered a key factor in the expansion of India's exports. Canalys explained, "Apple quickly established India as the production base for iPhones in the US market, significantly promoting India's exports."
Apple plans to produce about 25% of its global iPhones in India. Although Apple has started assembling the iPhone 16 Pro model in India, Canalys analysis said that the supply of high-end models in the US still heavily relies on China's manufacturing infrastructure.
Samsung Electronics and Motorola are also expanding their production bases in India to target the US market, but compared to Apple, their speed and scale are considered limited.
President Trump urged smartphone manufacturers to produce in the United States and threatened to impose tariffs, but experts say that due to soaring prices, this is "almost impossible." Although Apple's main products such as the iPhone and MacBook currently enjoy reciprocal tariff exemptions, the Trump administration warned that such exemptions may be temporary.
Canalys data shows that the total shipment of smartphones in the United quarter of 2025 reached 27.1 million units, increasing by only 1% year-on-year. Apple's shipments fell by 11% to 13.3 million units, but still maintained a 49% market share to remain at the top.
Samsung Electronics shipped 8.3 million units during the same period, an increase of 38%, and its market share also rose significantly, from 23% to 31%.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1842409508657162/
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