President Donald Trump has reignited a long-running debate over American manufacturing, demanding Apple move iPhone production to the United States or face steep penalties. In a post on Truth Social, Trump warned Apple CEO Tim Cook that iPhones sold domestically must be built on US soil — or the company would face a 25% tariff.
“I expect their iPhones that will be sold in the United States… be manufactured and built in the United States, not India or anyplace else,” Trump wrote Friday.
The message echoes a conversation from 2011, when then-President Barack Obama asked Steve Jobs what it would take to bring iPhone assembly back to the US. Fourteen years later, Trump is raising the stakes with real consequences.
Apple currently relies on global supply chains, particularly in China and India, where the company benefits from highly specialized labor, vast infrastructure, and cost-effective production systems. Analysts warn that replicating this model in the US would pose major hurdles — from a lack of skilled labor to increased costs.
“For Apple to build iPhones here, they would need to completely redesign the production process,” said Dipanjan Chatterjee of Forrester. “It just fundamentally doesn’t work.”
While Apple has pledged $500 billion over four years to grow its US presence — including investments in server manufacturing and smart technology education — the company has made no commitment to shift iPhone production stateside. Earlier this month, Cook reiterated plans for most US-bound iPhones to come from India.
Manufacturing experts say relocating assembly would require more than infrastructure — it would also demand new workforce capabilities and automation. Some believe partial relocation is possible within five years, but even then, costs could soar. One analyst estimated that producing iPhones in America could triple their price.
Despite pressure from the White House, Apple remains publicly silent on whether it plans to adjust its manufacturing strategy.
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