U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said that the 25% tariffs he threatened to impose on Apple would also apply to other tech giants, including South Korea’s Samsung Electronics. The move is part of a broader push to bring electronics manufacturing back to the United States.
Asked if Apple would be the only company affected, Trump responded, “It would also be Samsung and anybody that makes that product, otherwise it wouldn’t be fair.” He said the tariffs would be “appropriately done” and could be ready for implementation by the end of June, though he did not provide further details.
Earlier in the day, Trump had posted on social media that Apple would face a 25% tariff on iPhones if it didn’t move production to the U.S. That warning came just days after a meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook at the White House. Trump said Cook plans to build plants in India, which he criticized, saying, “You’re not going to sell into here without tariffs.”
Apple’s shares dropped 3% following the announcement. Meanwhile, Trump also issued a separate threat of a 50% tariff on European Union imports, set to take effect June 1, further weighing on global markets.
Trump’s push for domestic production poses significant challenges for Apple and Samsung, whose device manufacturing is deeply entrenched in Asia due to the region’s advanced supply chains and skilled labor networks. While Apple has announced plans to spend $500 billion in the U.S. over four years—including a server plant in Houston and a supplier training center in Michigan—those investments fall short of a complete manufacturing shift to the U.S.
Apple had already started moving some iPhone production to India to mitigate rising China-related tariffs. But that shift drew Trump’s ire. “I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday,” he said. “He is building all over India. I don’t want you building in India.”
Analysts warn that if Trump’s tariff plan materializes, Apple may have to raise iPhone prices—potentially with the launch of the iPhone 17. KeyBanc’s Brandon Nispel said Apple could face margin cuts of 3 to 3.5 percentage points in fiscal 2026. Still, experts note that U.S.-based production would likely be even costlier than paying the tariffs, possibly pushing the price of iPhones into the thousands of dollars.
While electronics like smartphones and computers have so far avoided Trump’s reciprocal tariffs, the administration is reportedly considering new levies on semiconductors, which could impact a wide range of consumer devices.