Apple has chartered cargo flights to transport 600 tons of iPhones (about 1.5 million smartphones) to the United States from India while US President Donald Trump’s tariff suspension is in effect.
Apple has chartered cargo flights to transport 600 tons of iPhones (about 1.5 million smartphones) to the United States from India while US President Donald Trump’s tariff suspension is in effect.
This is reported by Reuters sources. The company took this step to circumvent Trump’s tariffs and increase stocks of popular iPhone models in one of its largest sales markets — the United States.
Analysts warn that iPhone prices in the US could rise sharply, given Apple’s high reliance on imports from China, a major device manufacturing hub that is subject to Trump’s highest tariff rate of 125%.
That figure is significantly higher than the 26% tariff on imports from India, which is now suspended after Trump announced a 90-day pause this week that does not extend to China.
Apple «wanted to get around the tariff,» an insider told Reuters. The company agreed to reduce the time it takes to pass customs at Indian airports from the usual 30 hours to six. The «green lane» for iPhones in India is reminiscent of Apple’s tactics at some airports in China, the insider said.
So, about six cargo planes, each carrying 100 tons, have already left for the US, one of which flew this week. The weight of one iPhone 14 and charging cable is about 350 grams, which means that the total cargo weighing 600 tons consisted of 1.5 million iPhones, including the weight of the packaging.
Apple sells more than 220 million iPhones a year worldwide, with Counterpoint Research estimating that a fifth of total iPhone imports to the US now come from India, with the rest coming from China.
Trump has been steadily increasing U.S. tariffs on China, which by Wednesday were 125% from 54% previously. At a 54% tariff rate, the cost of the top-of-the-line iPhone 16 Pro Max in the U.S., which is $1,599, would rise to $2,300, according to expert calculations.
In India, Apple has increased air travel to meet its goal of a 20% increase in production at iPhone factories, which was achieved by adding workers and temporarily extending work at Foxconn’s largest factory in India on Sundays, an insider said.
As Apple diversifies its manufacturing outside of China, it is positioning India as a critical location. Foxconn and Tata, its two main suppliers, have three factories there, with two more under construction.
Recall that the tariff war unleashed by Donald Trump affects about 60 countries around the world, including Ukraine, and even a deserted island with penguins. It has also reached countries where Apple manufactures and supplies components for its iPhone, iPad and Mac, which has already caused the company’s shares to fall by 7%.
Trump also signed an executive order closing a loophole for cheap goods from China, which takes effect on May 2. Previously, packages worth up to $800 enjoyed a «minimal» exemption from additional duties, allowing foreign online retailers like Temu and Shein to sell super-cheap goods to American consumers.
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