Apple Inc. plans to import the majority of the phones it sells in the US from India by the end of 2026 to avoid risk related to tariffs and geopolitical tensions.
This development is the latest sign of Apple and its suppliers fastening up a pivot to India from China. Tariffs introduced by US President Donald Trump, as well as Beijing-Washington tensions, are prompting Apple to amplify that effort.
While representatives in India did not specify the latest developments, reports earlier indicated Apple’s goal was to source all its US-sold iPhones from India by the end of 2026.
Before this, several reports indicated that Apple planned to increasingly prioritise iPhones from the Indian supply chain for its US customers.
The California-based company put together $22 billion worth of iPhones in India in the 12 months ending March 2025.
This marks a significant increase of 60 per cent compared to the previous year.
Meanwhile, the stats suggest that Apple now produces 20 per cent of iPhones in India, while China remains the largest base for production despite the ongoing trade war.
The Foxconn Technology Group’s factory located in South India assembles the majority of the Indian-made iPhones.
The shipment of Indian-made iPhones accelerated during the last two months after United States President Donald Trump threatened to impose reciprocal tariffs on imports from more than 90 countries, including India and China.
However, he later paused the tariffs for 90 days to give countries a chance to make deals with the US government for lowering tariff rates that he said were unfair.
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