Trump Urges Companies ‘Like Apple’ To Move Production To U.S. As China Trade War Intensifies

As the United States and China increase tariffs on each other, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that companies should move production to America, explicitly calling out Apple.

Trump raised the tariff on China to 104% on Wednesday morning, sparking further retaliation from the communist country, which hit back and raised its total tariff on American goods to 84%. While the president said on Tuesday that he’s optimistic about China wanting “to make a deal” with the United States on trade, Chinese leaders are doubling down on fighting a trade war “to the end.”

“This is a GREAT time to move your COMPANY into the United States of America, like Apple, and so many others, in record numbers, are doing,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “ZERO TARIFFS, and almost immediate Electrical/Energy hook ups and approvals. No Environmental Delays. DON’T WAIT, DO IT NOW!”

Among tech companies, Apple has been hit the hardest so far in Trump’s trade war with China. As investors anxiously watched Trump’s massive tariff on China go into effect, with no sign of a trade deal coming anytime soon, Apple stock went on a four-day slide, dropping 23 points. The stock was ticking back up in the early trading hours on Wednesday.

For years, Apple has manufactured iPhones in China, relying on the country’s cheap labor costs, but it has recently moved some of its production to India as it seeks to diversify its production base. Apple is considering ramping up iPhone production in India and shipping the phones to the United States as the trade war with China continues, The Wall Street Journal reported.

On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked if the president wants Apple to make iPhones in the United States.

“Absolutely,” Leavitt replied. “He believes we have the labor, we have the workforce, we have the resources to do it.”

Some economic analysts believe that iPhone production in the United States would be impractical and significantly raise the cost of the most popular smartphone on the market, Barron’s reported. The iPhone is Apple’s biggest moneymaker, bringing in around half of its revenue, according to the WSJ.