US President Donald Trump said he told Apple CEO Tim Cook not to build manufacturing facilities in India unless they are specifically meant to serve the Indian market. Speaking at a business event in Doha, Qatar on May 15, Trump emphasized that he wants Apple to prioritize production in the United States.
“I told Tim Cook, we’re not interested in you building in India—they can take care of themselves,” Trump said, according to Bloomberg. He added that following their conversation, Apple agreed to increase its production in the US.
Trump also claimed that India had offered to remove all tariffs on US imports, stating, “India is one of the highest tariff nations in the world. It’s very hard to sell in India. But they’ve offered us a deal with literally no tariffs.”
The president criticized Apple’s past manufacturing expansion in China and expressed disapproval over its ongoing shift to India. “I’m treating you very good, Tim,” Trump recalled telling Cook. “But now I hear you are building all over India. I don’t want that.”
Apple has been ramping up production in India as part of its broader strategy to diversify beyond China and reduce exposure to tariffs. According to Reuters, Apple aims to manufacture the majority of iPhones sold in the US in India by the end of 2026. Currently, about 80% of iPhones sold in the US are made in China.
Despite India’s manufacturing costs being 5–10% higher than China’s, Apple shipped iPhones worth $2 billion from India to the US in March alone, setting a new monthly record. Of this, Foxconn contributed $1.3 billion in exports.
In 2024, Apple manufactured 40–45 million iPhones in India, representing 18–20% of its global output. Around 14–15 million units were exported to the US, with another 13 million sent to other countries, and 12 million sold within India.
Cook noted in a recent earnings call that the majority of iPhones sold in the US during the June quarter will originate from India, while nearly all iPads, MacBooks, Watches, and AirPods will come from Vietnam.