Donald Trump tells Apple CEO Tim Cook to avoid manufacturing in India despite zero-tariff offer from Indian government
During his Middle East visit, Trump urged Apple¡¯s Tim Cook to halt expansion in India, even as New Delhi offered a no-tariff deal. His statements impact India's rising tech manufacturing ambitions, despite Apple¡¯s growing production footprint there.
During his state visit to the Middle East, US President Donald Trump said he had a disagreement with Apple CEO Tim Cook over the company's continued manufacturing expansion in India. "I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday," Trump said during a public interaction in Qatar.
Referring to Apple's facilities in India, Trump told Cook, ¡°He is building all over India. I don¡¯t want you building in India. India can take care of itself.¡± His comments were made even as India reportedly offered the United States a deal waiving tariffs on American goods.
Praise for U.S. investments amid global moves
Trump also pointed to a prior discussion with Tim Cook during the US¨CChina tariff negotiations in Geneva, where he had praised Apple¡¯s decision to scale up operations in the U.S. "I spoke to Tim Cook this morning, and he¡¯s going to even up his numbers¡ $500 billion. He¡¯s building a lot of plants in the United States," Trump said from the Oval Office.
Donald Trump | Credit: X
Concerns over Indian tariffs despite concessions
The president reiterated his view that India has some of the world's highest tariff barriers, making it difficult for American companies to compete there. He acknowledged that India had offered a "no-tariff" arrangement on U.S. goods but said the broader issue of import taxes still required an agreement.
Implications for India¡¯s manufacturing goals
Trump¡¯s stance may present a challenge to India¡¯s aspirations of becoming a global technology production hub. Apple has significantly ramped up its activities in the country. iPhones are primarily assembled at Foxconn's facility in southern India, and Tata Group¡¯s electronics division¡ªnow managing Wistron¡¯s former local business¡ªalso plays a major role, along with Pegatron.
According to recent reports, Apple produced iPhones worth $22 billion in India over the past year, marking a near 60% rise in output compared to the previous 12 months. Both Tata and Foxconn are also expanding operations with new factories and increased production lines.
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Nancy Jaiswal is a journalist who started her career in reporting and has covered both hard and soft news. From serious city news developments to lighthearted lifestyle pieces, she has written on almost everything hapenning in India (except maybe alien invasions¡ªyet!). For her, writing isn¡¯t just work; it¡¯s a passion, an obsession, and sometimes the reason she forgets to reply to texts.
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