Trump to Apple CEO: Focus on US, not India, for production unless serving local market**
Doha: U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 15 that he advised Apple CEO Tim Cook against expanding manufacturing in India unless it is specifically to cater to the Indian market.
Speaking at an event in Qatar, Trump said, “I told Tim Cook we’re not interested in Apple building in India. India can take care of itself.” The remark followed a discussion where Trump reportedly expressed concerns over Apple’s increasing operations outside the US, particularly in India.
Trump noted that Apple would be ramping up production in the US.\ as a result of the conversation. He also claimed India has offered to eliminate tariffs on US goods, calling it one of the world’s highest tariff-imposing nations.
“I told Tim, we’ve supported Apple even when you were building in China. But I don’t want more plants in India—unless it’s to serve India,” he said, according to CNBC-TV18.
Apple has recently increased manufacturing in India to diversify from China and navigate U.S. tariffs. In March, the company shipped iPhones worth \$2 billion from India to the U.S., marking a record high for suppliers Tata and Foxconn.
In 2024, Apple made around 40–45 million iPhones in India, about 18–20% of its global output. Of these, 14–15 million were exported to the U.S., 13 million to other international markets, and about 12 million sold locally.
During Apple’s earnings call, Cook said most iPhones sold in the U.S. in the June quarter would be made in India, while nearly all iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, and AirPods sold in the U.S. would be sourced from Vietnam. China, he added, would remain the origin country for most products sold outside the US.
