White House trade advisor Peter Navarro sharply criticized Apple CEO Tim Cook on Monday over the corporate’s ongoing reliance on China for iPhone production, intensifying pressure from the Trump administration for Apple to bring back manufacturing to the USA.
“Going back to the primary Trump term, Tim Cook has continually asked for more time with the intention to move his factories out of China,” Navarro said during an appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” on Monday.
“I mean it’s the longest-running soap opera in Silicon Valley.”
Navarro said he struggled to know why Apple hasn’t re-shored its manufacturing and shifted its complex supply chain back to the US.
“With all these recent advanced manufacturing techniques and the way in which things are moving with AI and things like that, it’s inconceivable to me that Tim Cook couldn’t produce his iPhones elsewhere around the globe and on this country,” he said.
The Post has sought comment from Apple.
Navarro’s remarks follow months of escalating rhetoric from President Trump, who has made Apple a point of interest of his renewed push for domestic manufacturing.
Trump has demanded that Apple manufacture all iPhones sold within the US throughout the country, threatening to impose a 25% tariff on devices made abroad.
“I even have way back informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhones that can be sold in the USA of America can be manufactured and inbuilt the USA, not India, or anyplace else,” Trump posted in May 2025 on Truth Social.
“If that is just not the case, a Tariff of a minimum of 25% should be paid by Apple to the US.”
Apple currently assembles the majority of its iPhones in China, though it has increasingly shifted production to India in an effort to diversify supply chains and sidestep rising costs related to tariffs.
Despite these moves, analysts and provide chain experts argue that fully relocating iPhone production to the US could be logistically and economically impractical. Some estimates suggest a domestically manufactured iPhone could cost as much as $3,500.
During Trump’s first term, Apple pledged to assemble its $3,000 Mac Pro in Texas, but the corporate continues to supply only a few devices throughout the US.
In February, Apple said it could invest $500 billion within the US, including toward assembling some AI servers.
Trump has made clear that he views Apple’s shift to India as unacceptable. The president said he communicated this message on to Cook in May.
“You’re my friend. I’ve treated you thoroughly… but now I hear you’re expanding over India. I don’t want you in India. We would like you to supply here [in the U.S.],” he said in comments directed at Cook.
“India can handle themselves, they’re thriving, we would like you to fabricate here,” Trump said.
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The 2 reportedly met on the White House in May, shortly before Trump issued public threats of tariffs, although no details of the meeting were disclosed.
While Apple has avoided public confrontation, its technique to move some manufacturing to India and Vietnam reflects ongoing efforts to diversify. Nonetheless, the corporate’s reliance on China stays substantial as a result of a mix of things, including scale, infrastructure, labor and provide chain integration.
China provides Apple with an enormous and highly expert manufacturing workforce. A single Apple supplier in China can hire 3,000 employees overnight — capabilities unmatched elsewhere.
The country graduates about 600,000 engineers annually, in comparison with 70,000 within the US, offering Apple the technical talent needed for its complex devices.
Moreover, China’s manufacturing ecosystem provides the precision, tooling and tightly clustered suppliers that Apple is dependent upon to supply its flagship products. Many components are manufactured just miles from final assembly plants, allowing for efficient, just-in-time logistics and rapid adjustments to changes in demand.
Despite rising labor costs in China, the general cost of production stays lower than within the US as a result of established infrastructure, logistics networks and government incentives like subsidies and tax breaks.
White House trade advisor Peter Navarro sharply criticized Apple CEO Tim Cook on Monday over the corporate’s ongoing reliance on China for iPhone production, intensifying pressure from the Trump administration for Apple to bring back manufacturing to the USA.
“Going back to the primary Trump term, Tim Cook has continually asked for more time with the intention to move his factories out of China,” Navarro said during an appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” on Monday.
“I mean it’s the longest-running soap opera in Silicon Valley.”
Navarro said he struggled to know why Apple hasn’t re-shored its manufacturing and shifted its complex supply chain back to the US.
“With all these recent advanced manufacturing techniques and the way in which things are moving with AI and things like that, it’s inconceivable to me that Tim Cook couldn’t produce his iPhones elsewhere around the globe and on this country,” he said.
The Post has sought comment from Apple.
Navarro’s remarks follow months of escalating rhetoric from President Trump, who has made Apple a point of interest of his renewed push for domestic manufacturing.
Trump has demanded that Apple manufacture all iPhones sold within the US throughout the country, threatening to impose a 25% tariff on devices made abroad.
“I even have way back informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhones that can be sold in the USA of America can be manufactured and inbuilt the USA, not India, or anyplace else,” Trump posted in May 2025 on Truth Social.
“If that is just not the case, a Tariff of a minimum of 25% should be paid by Apple to the US.”
Apple currently assembles the majority of its iPhones in China, though it has increasingly shifted production to India in an effort to diversify supply chains and sidestep rising costs related to tariffs.
Despite these moves, analysts and provide chain experts argue that fully relocating iPhone production to the US could be logistically and economically impractical. Some estimates suggest a domestically manufactured iPhone could cost as much as $3,500.
During Trump’s first term, Apple pledged to assemble its $3,000 Mac Pro in Texas, but the corporate continues to supply only a few devices throughout the US.
In February, Apple said it could invest $500 billion within the US, including toward assembling some AI servers.
Trump has made clear that he views Apple’s shift to India as unacceptable. The president said he communicated this message on to Cook in May.
“You’re my friend. I’ve treated you thoroughly… but now I hear you’re expanding over India. I don’t want you in India. We would like you to supply here [in the U.S.],” he said in comments directed at Cook.
“India can handle themselves, they’re thriving, we would like you to fabricate here,” Trump said.
Every morning, the NY POSTcast offers a deep dive into the headlines with the Post’s signature mixture of politics, business, popular culture, true crime and all the things in between. Subscribe here!
The 2 reportedly met on the White House in May, shortly before Trump issued public threats of tariffs, although no details of the meeting were disclosed.
While Apple has avoided public confrontation, its technique to move some manufacturing to India and Vietnam reflects ongoing efforts to diversify. Nonetheless, the corporate’s reliance on China stays substantial as a result of a mix of things, including scale, infrastructure, labor and provide chain integration.
China provides Apple with an enormous and highly expert manufacturing workforce. A single Apple supplier in China can hire 3,000 employees overnight — capabilities unmatched elsewhere.
The country graduates about 600,000 engineers annually, in comparison with 70,000 within the US, offering Apple the technical talent needed for its complex devices.
Moreover, China’s manufacturing ecosystem provides the precision, tooling and tightly clustered suppliers that Apple is dependent upon to supply its flagship products. Many components are manufactured just miles from final assembly plants, allowing for efficient, just-in-time logistics and rapid adjustments to changes in demand.
Despite rising labor costs in China, the general cost of production stays lower than within the US as a result of established infrastructure, logistics networks and government incentives like subsidies and tax breaks.
