U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly criticised Apple CEO Tim Cook over the company’s growing manufacturing operations in India.
He said he does not want Apple to build more in India.
Speaking at a business event in Doha, Trump said he had a "little problem" with Cook, accusing him of expanding production overseas despite favorable treatment from the U.S. government.
"I told Tim, ‘I’m treating you very well. You're bringing in $500 billion, but now I hear you're building all over India. I don't want that,’" Trump said. "India is one of the highest tariff nations in the world. It’s very hard to sell there, and they can take care of themselves."
Trump further claimed that India had offered the U.S. a deal involving zero tariffs on American goods, though no official announcement has been made by the Indian government regarding such an agreement.
The U.S. president emphasised his desire for Apple to focus on expanding its U.S. manufacturing base. “We tolerated the China plants for years. But we’re not okay with a similar move to India,” he stated.
His remarks come at a time when Apple is actively shifting part of its supply chain from China to India in response to global trade tensions and U.S. tariffs. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently noted that the company expects a majority of iPhones sold in the U.S. to soon be manufactured in India.
Currently, Apple operates three manufacturing facilities in India — two in Tamil Nadu and one in Karnataka — through partners Foxconn and Tata Group. Two additional facilities are in development. In the last fiscal year ending March, Apple assembled iPhones worth $22 billion in India, marking a 60% year-on-year growth in local production.