White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says that President Trump “believes” the US has the labor, workforce, and resources to build iPhones in the US

Trump's massive 104% tariffs on China are set to go into effect at midnight tonight, a move that will have a major impact on Apple and its supply chain.

9to5Mac 2025-04-09 Chance Miller

Context & Ripple Effects

The administration’s push to use tariffs to reshape Apple’s manufacturing footprint follows earlier tariff pressure that rejected relief for China-made Mac Pro parts. Related coverage shows the policy has already put Apple’s diversified assembly strategy under strain, with its shares falling after tariffs were announced for China, Vietnam, and India.

The domestic-manufacturing claim is tested by subsequent reporting that US iPhone production lacks the necessary facilities, skilled labor, and supply-chain depth. Apple’s reported plan to shift US-bound iPhone assembly toward India instead underscores the gap between political intent and an immediately executable US production base.

First-order effects

Apple faces greater uncertainty and potential import-cost exposure as China tariffs take effect, while the White House publicly raises expectations for US-based iPhone manufacturing.
Apple’s suppliers must assess whether their current China-centered component and assembly flows can absorb tariff pressure while preserving iPhone availability and economics.

Second-order effects

Production diversification becomes more urgent, but moving final assembly alone may not remove exposure where components and supplier networks remain tied to China.
Public pressure for US production gives Apple less room to frame overseas assembly solely as an operational choice; it becomes a visible trade-policy issue alongside cost and capacity.

Third-order effects

If tariff policy remains the lever, consumer-electronics supply chains may evolve toward regionally diversified production rather than a rapid return of complete iPhone manufacturing to the US.
The episode highlights a broader constraint on industrial policy: tariffs can alter sourcing incentives quickly, while the workforce, facilities, and supplier ecosystems needed for complex manufacturing take longer to build.

The trend: Trade policy is increasingly forcing consumer-electronics companies to treat manufacturing geography as a strategic and political decision, not just a cost-optimization exercise.

Discussion

@scripting.com Dave Winer on bluesky
Apple sells 250 million phones a year, but how many in the US? They could just let the prices in the US go up, thanks to TrumpTariffs, and sell phones for the same old price elsewhere in the world.
@davidfrum David Frum on bluesky
The tiny screws that clamp together the iPhone are made in China. Many of machines that makes the tiny screws are made in USA. In a doomed chase for the basic industries we don't want, Trump will destroy the advanced industries USA has. www.theatlantic.com/economy/ arch...
@carnage4life Dare Obasanjo on bluesky
Everything is easy when you have no idea how anything works.
@dylanonchips @dylanonchips on bluesky
Morgan Stanley Research, for those in the back: “For an industry facing hundreds of billions of dollars in costs to set up shop in the U.S. [versus] tens of billions in tariffs, tariffs still feel like the less bad choice.” www.crn.com/news/computi... [embedded post]
@mgsiegler.com M.G. Siegler on bluesky
How is Tim Cook feeling about that $1M gift to Trump right now? Maybe he should have given $1T as that's what Trump clearly plans to wipe from Apple's market cap... [embedded post]
@chancemiller.me Chance Miller on bluesky
Man, I'm really starting to think this guy doesn't know what he's talking about.
@samleecole Sam Cole on bluesky
of all the soundbites of the last few months, “the tradecraft of America, the high school educated Americans, the core to our workforce” might piss me off the most www.404media.co/a-us-made-ip...
@ernie.tedium.co Ernie Smith on bluesky
I'm just thinking about how the fantasy these people are selling us ignores the fact that white-collar jobs are often more attractive and a better fit for the U.S. economy. — www.404media.co/a-us-made-ip...
@jasonkoebler@mastodon.social Jason Koebler on mastodon
Here I explain why the idea that we are going to suddenly make iPhones in the U.S. is pure fantasy and if Apple WERE to do that it would come after several years of deep pain. The iPhone is perhaps the most global product that has ever existed: https://www.404media.co/...
@joannastern Joanna Stern on threads
It's me “screwing in little, little screws.” A short video on why bringing iPhone manufacturing to America is hard—and why we'll pay for a more expensive tariffed iPhone far before we get an iPhone that says “Assembled in America.”
@chancehmiller Chance Miller on threads
Man, I'm really starting to think this guy doesn't know what he's talking about. https://9to5mac.com/...
@spencerhakimian Spencer Hakimian on x
In a huge victory for American workers, Apple has agreed to reshore jobs from Shenzhen to Bengaluru. Thank you President Trump! [image]
@hassankhan @hassankhan on x
Was discussing this with my former coworkers who are still at Apple working in operations [Screenshot of Lutnick's “The army of millions and millions of human beings screwing in little screws to make iPhones — that kind of thing is going to come to America”, with a comment: “I ha…
@joannastern Joanna Stern on x
It's me, “screwing in little, little screws.” A short video on why bringing iPhone manufacturing to America is hard—and why we'll pay for a more expensive tariffed iPhone far before we get an iPhone that says “Assembled in America.” [video]
@zachweinberg @zachweinberg on x
The fully American iPhone 19 pictures have LEAKED. Only $1500. Steal. [image]
@lionelhutz_esq Lionel Hutz on x
Suddenly not having a case on my iPhone has become a potentially life-altering financial decision
@swiftonsecurity @swiftonsecurity on x
Bitch we can't even make an hPhone
@munster_gene Gene Munster on x
Over the past five trading days $AAPL investors have slid into panic mode. Shares are down 23% since April 2. • It's going to get ugly with China over the next month, which will intensify the panic. • My eyes are on the horizon. Looking out 3 months from now, I believe Apple …
@mikeisaac Rat King on x
zero percent chance this will ever, ever, ever happen
@rakeshsfnyc Rakesh Agrawal on x
Dumbest president in my lifetime. Even if it were possible, the timeline to make such a change is well beyond the end of Trump's term. Knowing that the next POTUS won't be a moron*, it would make zero sense to saddle yourself with those costs. * I suppose it's theoretically po…
@ikoweb3 Iko on x
@APompliano People forget—America doesn't have a manufacturing problem, it has a narrative problem. The innovation is here, the talent is here, and the infrastructure is catching up. Bet on builders. Follow back, let's keep the momentum going.
@itsmattjason Matthieu Jason on x
@APompliano It's not that America *can't* manufacture—it's that we forgot how much we *should*. Building things isn't just about products; it's about pride, resilience, and staying ahead. The future belongs to the makers.
@apompliano Anthony Pompliano on x
Many of the fastest growing or most valuable companies in the US manufacture rockets, cars, robots, machinery and other products here in America. If you think America can't manufacture goods, you are delusional.
r/politics r on reddit
Trump Has a Screw Loose About Tariffs
r/technology r on reddit
A ‘US-Made iPhone’ Is Pure Fantasy
r/stupidpol r on reddit
104% tariffs on China to go into effect at midnight
r/StockMarket r on reddit
Trump tariffs: White House says 104% China tariffs take effect at midnight
r/theydidthemath r on reddit
[Request] If Trump keeps on doubling tariffs on china at this pace, will his tariffs be higher than atoms in the universe before his term ends, or will he need a third?
r/TheDeprogram r on reddit
Trump tariffs: White House says 104% China tariffs take effect at midnight
r/Economics r on reddit
Trump tariffs: White House says 104% China tariffs take effect at midnight
r/MarxistCulture r on reddit
Trump tariffs: White House says 104% China tariffs take effect at midnight
r/genzdong r on reddit
Trump tariffs: White House says 104% China tariffs take effect at midnight
r/Superstonk r on reddit
Soon it'll be over 1000 % tariffs on china.
r/centrist r on reddit
China 104% tariffs going into effect at 12:01 a.m., White House confirms
r/apple r on reddit
A ‘US-Made iPhone’ Is Pure Fantasy
r/NoShitSherlock r on reddit
Trump tariffs: Elon Musk calls Peter Navarro ‘dumber than a sack of bricks’
r/investinq r on reddit
Trump tariffs: Elon Musk calls Peter Navarro ‘dumber than a sack of bricks’
r/wallstreetbet r on reddit
Trump tariffs: Elon Musk calls Peter Navarro ‘dumber than a sack of bricks’
r/WallStreetbetsELITE r on reddit
Time for Calls. China wants to now make a deal?
r/ProfessorFinance r on reddit
Live updates: Trump had ‘great call’ with South Korea, says China wants to make deal

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