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President Donald Trump publicly urged Apple CEO Tim Cook to halt the company’s expansion of iPhone manufacturing in India, insisting Apple should instead “up” its production in the United States.
Trump made the remarks during a state visit to Qatar, where he said he confronted Cook over the tech giant’s new Indian plants and emphasized that “India can take care of themselves.”
“I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday.” Trump said. “He is building all over India. I don’t want you building in India.”
He claimed that in return, Apple would boost U.S. production of iPhones, aligning with his long‑standing “Make in the USA” rhetoric. Trump framed India’s offer of zero tariffs on U.S. goods as generous, yet insisted Apple focus on domestic manufacturing instead.
Apple has significantly ramped up its assembly operations in India in recent years to diversify its supply chain and mitigate U.S.‑China trade tensions.
In the fiscal year ending March, India‑based iPhone production reached approximately $22 billion, a nearly 60 percent jump year‑over‑year.
Apple has not issued a formal response to Trump’s latest remarks. Industry watchers will be looking for signals at Apple’s upcoming earnings call and in future supply‑chain disclosures to see whether political pressure influences its manufacturing footprint.
