Trump Tells Tim Cook: Stop Building iPhones in India

President Donald Trump has asked Apple CEO Tim Cook to halt the company’s manufacturing expansion in India, potentially disrupting Apple’s strategy to shift iPhone production away from China. The directive came during a recent meeting between the two, with Trump pushing for increased domestic production instead of further development of Apple’s Indian manufacturing base.

“I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday,” Trump said during his state visit to Qatar on Thursday, according to MacRumors. “He is building all over India. I don’t want you building in India. India can take care of themselves.”

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Shifting Manufacturing Strategy

The confrontation follows Apple’s recent announcement that it plans to significantly increase its Indian manufacturing output. Earlier this month, Tim Cook revealed during an earnings call that he expected “the majority of iPhones sold in the US will have India as their country of origin,” signaling a major shift in the company’s production strategy.

This manufacturing pivot has been accelerated by Trump’s tariff policies, with the company facing financial pressure from duties on Chinese imports. Cook recently acknowledged that tariffs could add approximately $900 million to Apple’s costs this quarter alone, making alternative manufacturing locations increasingly attractive.

Apple has been steadily building its manufacturing presence in India over recent years, with Bloomberg reporting in April that the company already produces about 20% of its iPhones in the country. A Financial Times report suggested Apple had plans to import all iPhones sold in the U.S. from India by 2026, according to TechCrunch.

Trump’s America-First Production Push

The president’s comments reflect his broader “America First” manufacturing policy and come just one day after India approved a $435 million Foxconn project to manufacture Apple chips in the country. Trump’s intervention appears aimed at redirecting Apple’s investment toward U.S. soil.

“I said to Tim, I said, ‘Tim we’ve treated you really good, we put up with all the plants that you built in China for years… We’re not interested in you building in India, India can take care of themselves,'” Trump recounted during his Qatar appearance. He added that following their discussion, Apple would be “upping their production in the United States.”

Apple has committed to investing $500 billion in U.S. manufacturing over the next four years, with plans to expand facilities across multiple states including Michigan, Texas, California, Arizona, Nevada, Iowa, Oregon, North Carolina, and Washington. However, most of these investments are not directed toward iPhone production.

Manufacturing Reality Check

Despite the president’s push for domestic iPhone production, industry analysts have consistently maintained that completely reshoring Apple’s smartphone manufacturing is nearly impossible in the short term. The company has built an intricate global supply chain over decades, with particular concentration in Asia.

Currently, Apple produces very few products in the United States. The Mac Pro, assembled in Texas, represents its main U.S. manufacturing operation. In February, the company announced plans to launch a manufacturing facility in Texas to produce servers for Apple Intelligence, its artificial intelligence system.

The complexity of smartphone manufacturing, which requires specialized labor, component suppliers, and logistics infrastructure all in close proximity, presents significant challenges to any rapid shift toward U.S. production. Labor costs also remain substantially higher in the United States compared to manufacturing hubs in Asia.

Market Implications

Apple shares dipped 1% in early premarket trading following Trump’s comments, reflecting investor concern about potential disruption to the company’s carefully calibrated supply chain strategy. The uncertainty comes at a challenging time for Apple, which is navigating both tariff pressures and slowing iPhone sales growth in some markets.

Trump’s intervention also raises questions about the broader U.S.-India trade relationship. During his comments, the president mentioned that India had offered a “no-tariff deal” to the United States, suggesting ongoing trade negotiations between the two nations that could be affected by this dispute.

Neither Apple nor the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative had issued formal responses to the president’s comments as of Thursday morning, according to Axios.

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