Donald Trump: Apple should make products in the US to avoid tariffs
Donald Trump says Apple should make products in the US. Issei Kato/Reuters
Donald Trump tweeted on Saturday that Apple should make products in the United States if it wants to avoid tariffs on Chinese imports.
The company told trade officials in a letter on Friday that the proposed tariffs would affect prices for a “wide range” of Apple products , including its watch.
Apple’s AirPods headphones, some of its Beats headphones and its new HomePod smart speaker would also face levies if the current package of $200bn in tariffs goes ahead as expected in the coming days.
Trump, speaking on Friday aboard Air Force One, said the administration had tariffs planned for an additional $267bn worth of Chinese goods.
Trump tweeted that: “Apple prices may increase because of the massive Tariffs we may be imposing on China – but there is an easy solution where there would be ZERO tax, and indeed a tax incentive. Make your products in the United States instead of China. Start building new plants now.”
Apple is highly exposed to a trade war between the US and China. It makes many of its products for the US market in China, and it also sells gadgets including the iPhone in China, making them a potential target for Chinese retaliation against the Trump tariffs.
The technology sector is among the biggest potential losers as tariffs would make imported computer parts more expensive. “The burden of the proposed tariffs will fall much more heavily on the United States than on China,” Apple said in its letter.
The bestselling iPhone is not affected by the current round of tariffs but mobile phones would be covered in the $267bn of tariffs Trump suggested might be in the pipeline.
The White House has accused China of stealing US intellectual property and forcing American companies to share their technology with Chinese companies. The tariffs would pressure China to stop that behaviour, the administration has said. Apple said it was “difficult to see” how tariffs would advance the government’s goal.
Trump knows best for Apple.
Right?
And once again. trump sticking his nose into privately owned business.. Looks like trump is a socialist.
I wonder if Trump knows how many people Apple employees in the US...Probably not but he does know what is best for Apple.
Who??
Trump attacking Apple could be in part because Apple kicked Alex Jones off of their app store.
Pretty funny considering that trump very rarely buys anything that is American made. He applied for 1,100 work visa's for illegals a few years back. Why not hire Americans? Because the illegals will work for half what trump would have been required to pay American workers. FFS, even his wife is an illegal alien criminal invader.
Once again, trump proves what a huge hypocrite he is.