Donald Trump Urges Apple to Avoid Building Factories in India
Donald Trump warns Apple against expanding factories in India, highlighting tariff challenges and encouraging production focus within the United States.
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Former U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed opposition to Apple Inc.'s plans to increase manufacturing operations in India, citing high tariffs and emphasizing that India should handle its own industrial growth.
Speaking at a business forum in Doha, Trump told Apple CEO Tim Cook that he prefers the company to expand production within the United States rather than India. Trump criticized India's tariff policies, describing them as among the highest globally, which he said makes selling products there challenging.
“I told Tim Cook, we have been very good to Apple with regard to manufacturing incentives. But now I hear plans about expanding across India. I do not want Apple building factories there,” Trump stated. He further added, “India can take care of itself. We have tolerated Apple plants in China for years; we are not interested in Apple moving operations to India.”
Trump also mentioned that India had proposed a tariff-free arrangement on American exports, though no official confirmation from Indian authorities has been released to back this claim.
Apple is currently operating three production facilities in India—two in Tamil Nadu and one in Karnataka—with plans for two more plants underway. Foxconn runs one factory while the Tata Group manages the other two. These efforts are part of Apple’s broader strategy to diversify manufacturing away from China amid the U.S.-China trade tensions.
According to recent reports, Apple assembled approximately $22 billion worth of iPhones in India during the last fiscal year, marking a 60 per cent increase compared to the previous period. Earlier in May, CEO Tim Cook noted expectations that most iPhones sold in the U.S. could soon be manufactured in India.
Trump’s remarks come amid ongoing efforts by Apple to shift production hubs and mitigate the impact of tariffs imposed during his administration. The future of Apple’s manufacturing expansion in India remains a critical factor in the company’s global supply chain realignment.
