Headlines

Apple Rushed Nearly $2B in iPhones from India Ahead of US Tariffs

Published APR 16 2025

Story

Above: An Apple store on April 14, 2025, in Chicago, Illinois. Image credit: Scott Olson/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images

The Facts

Apple's main Indian suppliers, Foxconn and Tata, shipped nearly $2 billion worth of iPhones to the U.S. in March 2025, using at least six cargo jets to transport 600 tons of devices to reportedly bypass President Donald Trump's tariffs.
Reuters
Business Today
According to figures seen by Reuters, Foxconn exported $1.31 billion worth of smartphones in March alone, the company’s highest monthly shipment ever, equal to its January and February shipments combined. Tata Electronics, meanwhile, exported $612 million worth, a 63% increase from February.
Reuters
MINT
As part of the operation, Apple successfully lobbied Indian authorities to reduce the time needed for the shipments to clear customs at Chennai International Airport from the typical 30 hours to just six.
Independent
Fortune
Ahead of "Liberation Day" on April 2, when Trump initially announced tariffs of 26% on India, Apple ramped up production in its Indian factories by 20% and began operating 24 hours per day, seven days per week, including on Sundays, which are usually reserved as a holiday.
Donald Trump
The Daily Beast
The action was taken amid concern that the tariffs, particularly on China, could raise the price of the latest iPhones significantly, with analysts at UBS predicting the price of a Chinese-made iPhone 16 Pro Max could rise by $350 in the U.S. Other estimates suggest the price could rise to over $2,000 if Apple chooses to pass on the cost.
CNBC
Express.co.uk
As the U.S.-China trade war continues to escalate, Apple has begun transitioning its manufacturing to India, where, according to Bloomberg, it already produced $22 billion of iPhones in the year ending March 2025, a 60% increase in production on the previous 12 months.
Bloomberg.com
www.ft.com

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

The rapid airlift operation demonstrates Apple's agility in supply chain management and its growing confidence in India's manufacturing capabilities, with the country emerging as a viable alternative to China for high-value electronics production.

Fortune

The Times of India

Narrative B

Apple's behavior in March is typical for such an exploitative organization. Rather than shoulder the added costs of Trump’s tariffs, the company chose to work its Indian workforce to the bone and exert pressure on Indian authorities at Chennai airport to abandon their routine practices, all in the name of profit.