Trump: "Apple, don't produce in India, produce in the U.S.!"

On May 17th, South Korean media "Seoul Economic Daily" published an article stating that U.S. President Donald Trump directly requested Apple CEO Tim Cook to "establish production bases in the U.S., not in India".

He expressed dissatisfaction with Apple's approach to expand production in India in order to reduce dependence on China.

In a recent speech about U.S. trade policy, President Trump said, "Tim Cook and I had a little disagreement, my friend, I have been good to you. I heard that factories are being built in India now. I don't like that. Don't manufacture there."

Trump said, "For years, we tolerated your factories in China. Now it's time for you to build factories in the U.S."

He also mentioned, "I heard that Apple will invest $500 billion in the U.S., but they are building factories all over India. I don't like that."

Apple announced in February that it would invest $500 billion in the U.S. However, the company is actually expanding its manufacturing base in India with the goal of producing 25% of global iPhone output in India within a few years. Currently, approximately 90% of iPhones are assembled in China.

President Trump stated that Apple will "increase" production in the U.S., but did not provide specific plans or timelines.

Apple currently produces some Mac Pro products in the U.S. and announced plans in February to build a factory in Texas to produce AI servers.

In his speech, Trump pointed out that India's tariffs are "among the highest in the world," and noted that the Indian government is "willing to negotiate under conditions where U.S. products are exempt from tariffs."

The Trump administration imposed a 26% "reciprocal tariff" on Indian goods based on protectionist policies announced in April, which has been postponed until July.

Meanwhile, experts also pointed out practical difficulties, stating that if iPhones were produced in the U.S., their consumer prices would rise to between $1500 and $3500. Apple has established a complex and sophisticated supply chain in China over the decades and recently tried to expand its business into India and Vietnam.

Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1832369111657859/

Disclaimer: The article solely represents the views of the author.