Apple: All iPhones for the US Will Soon Come from India 53 comments
Apple is currently reportedly pursuing plans for all iPhones imported to the US in the future to use smartphones produced in India. The company wants to become more independent from China while avoiding current and potentially future punitive tariffs. This goal is to be achieved by the end of 2026.
Of the 40 million iPhones shipped to India, Apple is doubling its shipments to 80 million smartphones, Bloomberg reports, allegedly citing people familiar with Apple’s plans. Apple is also expressing the demands of the US market, for which iPhone sales figures are spread across all models, with more than 60 million devices.
Apple can manufacture all iPhones in India
Apple can currently manufacture all iPhone models in India. Not only the cheaper models are coming from the country, but also the flagship Pro series with a titanium housing. As familiar as Apple is in China, Foxconn production is located in India, with the plants located in the south of the country. Apple also works with the Indian Tata Group, which in turn produces Pegatron in India after the local Wistron company was taken over. Tata and Foxconn are also planning additional factories in southern India, as Bloomberg reported at the end of 2023. Try Trump’s punitive tariffs
Apple’s move to shift production almost exclusively to China reportedly began during the COVID-19 pandemic, as lockdowns in local factories led to production bottlenecks and thus delivery difficulties. On the other hand, the spotlight is on US President Donald Trump’s punitive tariffs, which amount to 145% for China, and sometimes even 245%. However, for consumer electronics like the iPhone, there are exceptions to the 20% penalty tariffs, which the US is using to pressure Beijing to prevent the alleged import of illegal fentanyl.
1 in 5 iPhones comes from India
According to the Financial Times, all iPhones imported to the US from factories in India will come by the end of 2026. Other countries are expected to continue producing smartphones in China in the future, which Apple is receiving. In Apple’s fiscal year through March of this year, 60% more iPhones were produced in India, worth $22 billion, than the previous year. One of the five iPhones currently produced comes from India. India’s technology minister said in early April that $17.5 billion worth of iPhones were exported last year.
Topics: Apple
Smartphones Business Source: Bloomberg
Sarah tracks innovations in smartphones, evaluating their performance, design, and key features.
