In Qatar, during a recent event, US President Donald Trump revealed that he pushed Apple CEO Tim Cook to stop expanding production facilities in India. Trump advocated that Apple should put more importance on expanding production in the US.
Ignoring the high tariff barriers imposed by India, Trump said:
“India can take care of themselves, they are doing very well.”
Regarding current trade talks, Trump asserted that India has put forward a trade pact with “literally no tariffs” on American goods in an attempt to reach an agreement during the U.S.’s April 9 announcement of a 90-day suspension of tariff rises. As part of this proposal, the present difference of 13% with the United States would be narrowed down to less than 4%.
Apple has been moving an ample amount of its iPhone production to India, with the intention to get the mass production of its iPhone supply from India by the end of next year. Apple is striving to expand its production base outside of China with this move in view of geopolitical unrest and tariff worries.
India’s proposal to remove tariffs on American goods shows the intention of India to better its economic relations and accelerate the completion of a trade agreement with the United States. The Indian administration, which emphasizes its dedication to strategic autonomy and bilateral dispute resolution, has not, however, openly accepted such an offer.
The fact that Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is planning a visit to Washington from May 17 to 20 for fresh trade talks shows that both countries are working to come to a quick and advantageous accord.
