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Apple (AAPL) CEO Tim Cook." width="970" height="642" data-caption='Apple CEO Tim Cook previously managed to secure tariff exemptions in 2018. <span class="lazyload media-credit">Justin Sullivan/Getty Images</span>'>
Despite a constant churn of new products and software updates, one thing has stayed the same at Apple since 2017: the $999 price tag of its flagship iPhone. That ever-reliable number, however, could soon skyrocket as Apple struggles to navigate the impact of Trump’s tariffs on goods from China, where the vast majority of iPhones are made. The current levies on Chinese imports stand at a staggering 125 percent, the President announced today (April 9). “Liberation Day” tariffs on other iPhone-manufacturing nations, like India and Vietnam, have been given a 90-day reprieve for now. With tariffs on China likely to rise even more and the prospect of negotiating an exemption appearing dimmer, Apple is increasingly running out of places to hide.
Apple has spent the past few weeks stockpiling inventory in the U.S. Last month, it flew five iPhone-filled planes from India to the U.S. in just three days’ time, according to The Times of India, which cited a senior Indian official. Consumers rushed to buy Apple products before the tariffs took effect, with U.S. Apple stores reportedly seeing a surge in foot traffic in recent days.
The iPhone accounts for around half of Apple’s annual revenue, and about 90 percent of them are made in China. Because the tariffs assigned to China have already changed a few times in recent days, it’s difficult to pin down exactly how much more expensive a Chinese-manufactured iPhone will become. Taking into account the initial 54 percent tariff for China announced last week, UBS analysts predicted that the price of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which starts at $1,199 and is Apple’s most expensive model, could increase by 30 percent—a jump that will be even larger now, in light of Trump hiking China’s tariffs up to 125 percent.
What about India?
While Apple remains reliant on China, the company has attempted to diversify its supply chain in recent years amid geopolitical tensions and factory lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic. India has emerged as an appealing destination for iPhone assembly, with the country now making up to 15 percent of all iPhones, according to Evercore ISI analysts.
During the most recent fiscal year that ended in September, Apple reportedly exported more than $17 billion worth of iPhones from India. Apple additionally depends on Vietnam to assemble products like its Apple Watch and iPad, while Malaysia and Thailand have played a larger role in manufacturing the Mac computer.
These alternative manufacturing hubs are still expected to face tariffs under the Trump administration, which plans to hit
On Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff list, these smaller manufacturing hubs face levies ranging from 24 percent to 46 percent. A $999 iPhone built in India, for example, would be $120 more expensive if the tariffs take effect after the 90-day pause, according to UBS. It would make sense for Apple to shift more of its iPhone production to India. But it will take time for the country to meaningfully replace China.
Are exemptions on the table?
This isn’t the first time Apple has faced tariff threats. During Trump’s first term, CEO Tim Cook managed to secure a last-minute exemption for Apple products from a 20 percent tariff on Chinese goods. But the odds of carving out such a deal once again don’t appear particularly promising, with the administration stating that there will be “no exemptions at this time.”
As Apple considers its options, there’s one that stands out as the priciest path forward. Boosting U.S. manufacturing, which Trump has pinpointed as the end goal of his tariff policy, would drive up the cost of making iPhones to unprecedented heights. Shifting even 10 percent of Apple’s supply chain to the U.S. from Asia could take at least three years and cost $30 billion, according to an estimate by Wedbush Securities’ Dan Ives. He estimates that an iPhone manufactured in the U.S. would cost around $3,500. The concept of making a $999 all-American iPhone is a “non-starter,” he said. “Price points would move up so dramatically it’s hard to comprehend.”