Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

Apple has sent five planes filled with Indian-made iPhones to the United States. This move is part of the company's strategy to replenish its stocks and temporarily protect itself from the new trade duties in the U.S, Azernews reports.

Starting from April 5, 2025, a 10% duty was imposed on all goods imported into the U.S., and from April 9, the duty rate on Indian goods is set to increase to 26%. Apple’s decision to airlift these iPhones helps fill warehouses across the U.S. in advance, mitigating the impact of these new trade barriers for several months.

Additionally, sources from The Wall Street Journal report that Apple plans to increase iPhone shipments from India to the U.S. in order to offset the 54% duties currently imposed on products from China. Former President Donald Trump also threatened to raise duties on Chinese goods by an additional 50% unless Beijing backs down from its retaliatory measures.

According to Bank of America analyst Uamsi Mohan, Apple is expected to produce approximately 25 million iPhones in India in 2025, of which around 10 million are typically sold in the local market. If Apple redirects all of its Indian-made devices to the U.S., it could cover nearly half of the country's smartphone demand.

Analysts agree that moving production to the U.S. is economically unfeasible for Apple. The cost of manufacturing in the U.S. could push the price of an iPhone up to $3,500, making it prohibitively expensive for most consumers.

Apple's strategy reflects a growing trend in global trade where companies are increasingly shifting production to avoid tariffs and trade barriers. However, despite these efforts, it remains to be seen how long this strategy can shield tech giants like Apple from the ongoing tensions in U.S.-China trade relations.