Amid the rising heat between Washington and Beijing, Apple is shifting gears—and geography. With fresh tariffs threatening its China-based supply chain, the tech giant is leaning into India to keep its business humming in the U.S.
According to insiders quoted by the Wall Street Journal, Apple is preparing to send a larger chunk of its India-assembled iPhones directly to American shores. The goal? To dodge the sharp spike in tariffs slapped on Chinese goods, which now sit at a steep 54%. In contrast, Indian-made products currently face a much lower 26% import tax, making the shift a no-brainer—at least for now.
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Apple, it seems, isn’t ready to overhaul its China-centric supply chain just yet. Instead, it’s playing it safe and looking for tactical workarounds while lobbying for tariff relief back home. For the time being, India has emerged as a convenient fallback.
And it’s not just talk—action is already underway. In a mad rush before new tariffs took effect on April 2, Apple reportedly airlifted five cargo planes full of devices and components from India to the U.S. within a span of just three days. A report by The Times of India says this fast-paced shipment blitz was timed precisely to beat the trade deadline and avoid additional costs.
According to sources, the company also expedited shipments from its Chinese factories in anticipation of further trade restrictions, loading up U.S. warehouses to cushion the blow.
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Even with these swift maneuvers, there’s a growing sense of unease among Apple’s investor base and its American customer pool. As murmurs of possible price hikes grow louder, long lines have started forming outside Apple Stores, with buyers scrambling to grab devices before potential increases hit.
So while Apple buys time with India, the question remains—how long can this balancing act hold, and at what cost to consumers?
