Trump Tells Apple CEO Not to Expand in India: Report
US President Donald Trump reportedly told Apple CEO Tim Cook not to expand manufacturing in India, urging a focus on American production, Bloomberg reported.
Speaking at a business event in Doha, Donald Trump said he told Apple CEO Tim Cook: “We’re not interested in you building in India. They can take care of themselves, they are doing very well.” The remark was made public in a Bloomberg report, which cited sources familiar with the meeting.
According to Trump, Apple will now expand production in the United States instead, although no formal announcement from the company has confirmed a policy shift. “They’re going to do a lot of building in the United States,” Trump claimed, without giving details on timelines or facilities.
The comment comes amid a delicate period in US-India relations. India recently threatened retaliatory tariffs on the US after Washington increased duties on Indian steel and aluminium exports.
Despite this, trade talks between the two countries remain ongoing. Bloomberg cited officials who confirmed that negotiations are in progress, with India’s commerce minister expected to visit Washington between May 17 and 20.
During his Doha remarks, Trump claimed India had offered to waive tariffs on US goods entirely. “They are willing to literally charge us no tariff,” he said, although no specific offer has been publicly confirmed by Indian authorities.
Apple has significantly ramped up manufacturing in India in recent years. The company produces several iPhone models in the country through partners like Foxconn and Wistron, in line with New Delhi’s push for local manufacturing under its “Make in India” initiative.
The tech giant’s increasing investment has been seen as a cornerstone of India’s bid to become a global electronics hub. Neither Apple nor Indian government officials have issued a statement in response to Trump’s reported remarks.
Indian officials have grown increasingly frustrated with Trump’s recent public statements, according to Bloomberg. This includes his earlier suggestion that US-India trade relations were used as leverage in brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan—an assertion New Delhi has firmly denied.
