Earlier this week, Donald Trump introduced significant import tariffs that are set to affect nearly every industry across the United States. In response to this, Apple made a notable move to shield itself from the impact of these tariffs.
Indian officials confirmed to The Times of India that Apple shipped five planes full of its products, including iPhones, into the U.S. in the final days of March to avoid the impending tariffs, which were scheduled to go into effect on Wednesday, April 9, at 12:01 a.m.
According to the report, “Apple transported five planes full of iPhones and other products from India to the U.S. in just three days during the last week of March,” with the shipments made urgently to bypass the new 10% reciprocal tariff imposed by the U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, effective from April 5. Despite the tariff, Apple reportedly has no plans to raise retail prices in India or other markets.
By rushing such a large quantity of products into the U.S. before the tariffs took effect, Apple is positioning itself to delay the impact of the tariffs for a while, utilizing its existing inventory and the goods from the five planes.
Should these tariffs become a permanent policy, The Times of India suggests that Apple may shift more of its production to India.
This is due to India’s lower tariff rate compared to China, where much of Apple’s production is currently based.
“With iPhone and AirPod production already underway in India, Apple stands to gain from a tariff advantage, as Indian exports face a 26% reciprocal tariff on U.S. goods, compared to the 54% imposed on Chinese products,” the report explains.
This 28-percentage-point disparity offers Apple a strong financial incentive to increase its manufacturing presence in India.
Currently, Apple accounts for most of India’s nearly $9 billion in smartphone exports to the U.S., though any production shifts will depend on the final terms of U.S. tariffs with various countries.
For the time being, however, Apple is likely relying on the products already shipped into the U.S. to mitigate the immediate effects of the tariffs.
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