Former President Donald Trump announced on Friday that Apple will face a hefty tariff of 25% or more on iPhones manufactured outside the United States. In anticipation of the indictment to come, Trump definitively declared his opposition to a Truth Social post. He further clarified that he wants all iPhones sold in the U.S. to be manufactured in America.
Specifically, in his blog post, Trump focused his criticism on iPhones produced overseas. He cautioned that unless Apple begins producing more of these products in the United States, the company will suffer economic penalties. I’ve sent long ago notice to Tim Cook of Apple that I’m going to require that their iPhones that would be sold in the United States of America be manufactured and manufactured here in the United States, not in India or wherever else in the world. If true, a tariff of at least 25% should be paid by Apple to the U.S.,” wrote Donald Trump.
The controversial former president’s comments just so happened to be timed on this important day. Apple recently pledged to raise trade-in incentives for iPhones in China. This decision feels like an extension of the current fight between Trump and big business over the new direction of manufacturing.
Trump’s history of interactions with Apple CEO Tim Cook includes a visit in 2019 to the Flextronics computer manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas. During this historic visit, they discussed Apple’s production strategies with Asia. While Cook has previously made significant contributions to Trump’s political endeavors, including a $1 million donation to his inauguration fund, Trump’s recent statements suggest a shift towards more stringent economic policies.
The proposed tariff marks yet another innovative offensive by Trump in his trade war onslaughts. He has rightly taken Walmart—and other retailers—to task on the manufacturing they do overseas. He has imposed or proposed narrowly-targeted levies on consumer products that include iPhones. This is a notable expansion of his use of trade policy to try and boost American manufacturing.
Trump’s expectations don’t stop at a tweet against Apple. He believes that U.S. consumers must not be forced to pay for goods produced abroad. His position shows that the Biden Administration is serious about reshaping the manufacturing landscape to be more favorable toward domestic production.