Apple Inc. is reportedly planning to relocate the assembly of all iPhones sold in the United States to India, potentially as early as next year, as part of a strategic shift away from China, according to the Financial Times.
This decision is largely influenced by ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and China.
The Financial Times indicates that this transition may occur more swiftly than investors expect, with the aim of producing all 60 million iPhones sold annually in the U.S. from India by the end of 2026.
Achieving this goal will require India to double its iPhone production in just over a year—a significant acceleration compared to the nearly two decades Apple invested in establishing its production capabilities in China.
The goal is to double India’s iPhone production in just over a year—a significantly shorter timeframe than the nearly two decades Apple invested in establishing its production line in China.
In recent years, Apple has become increasingly dependent on China as a manufacturing hub, producing many of its products through third-party partners like Foxconn.
This dependence, however, makes the company vulnerable to high trade tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump on China, the world’s second-largest economy.
In April, Apple was seen hastily shipping iPhones from India following the escalation of the trade war initiated by Trump against China.
Although Trump exempted electronics imports from China temporarily, he indicated that these imports would eventually face separate tariffs.
Trump had previously imposed tariffs of 145 percent on China, to which China responded with a 125 percent tariff in retaliation. This situation has raised concerns about Apple’s vulnerability.
