In an interested development, Apple Inc. reportedly flew approximately 1.5 million iPhones to the United States from India and China in order to hastily avoid global tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump.
According to details, the tech giant, Apple, chartered cargo flights which were loaded with iPhones reportedly weighing 600 tons.
The company took the surprising move in order to stock up its inventory as Apple heavily relies on Chinese and Indian manufacturing for its products.
The United States is one of the biggest markets for the popular iPhones, and analysts have suggested that the Trump’s tariffs will lead to surge in iPhone prices across the US.
According to media reports, App undertook the emergency move in the last week of March 2025 which took at least 3 days.
US President Donald Trump had earlier this month announced imposition of retaliatory tariffs on more than 180 countries, including strong restrictions on China.
Trump also issued a threat that those countries who retaliate against the tariffs would face further obstructions, while hinting at relaxation for those countries who towed to America’s line.
China took a strong stance against American tariffs, calling the move “economic bullying and against the free-based multilateral trade order.”
China retaliated harshly by imposing 84% following Trump’s 104% tariffs on Chinese imports.
How much will Apple iPhones cost after tariffs?
Since Apple heavily relies on its products manufacturing in China and India, the US consumers are expected to take a huge hit, particularly in iPhones prices.
Even though Apple has not released any statement regarding the company’s plans of shifting the tariffs burden onto consumers in US, it is expected that iPhones prices will increase exponentially.
Some analysts have suggested that iPhone prices in the US could triple if the full burden of tariffs are passed onto US consumers.
After the US tariffs on China, the cost for a China-made iPhone 16 Pro Max with 256GB storage would have surged from $1,199 to $1,999.
As Apple manufactures in China and India both but China has faced more stringent tariffs. It is expected that Indian-made iPhones would experience less significant increase.
Indian-made iPhone 16 Pro 128GB variant could go up $999 to $1046 since tariffs on India are not as much as China.
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