Apple is reportedly considering increasing its imports of iPhones from India in order to avoid the 54% additional tariffs on Chinese-made goods recently announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing anonymous sources.
This move is seen as a temporary solution as Apple seeks to negotiate with the Trump administration for an exemption from the tariffs. The company is hesitant to overhaul its existing supply chain, which is heavily reliant on China, the report noted.
With the new 54% tariff on goods from China, the U.S. has proposed a 26% tariff on products imported from India. If the tariffs remain unchanged and Apple continues importing iPhones from China, the cost of an iPhone 16 Pro that previously cost $550 to import could increase by an additional $300.
Apple had planned to manufacture 25 million iPhones in India this year, with 10 million earmarked for the local market. According to Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan, if Apple chose to import all 25 million iPhones to the U.S., it would cover around 50% of U.S. demand.
