Apple Shifts iPhone Exports from India to U.S. to Bypass China Tariffs

Apple is ramping up iPhone exports from India to the U.S. to sidestep rising tariffs on Chinese-made devices. From March to May 2025, Foxconn exported $3.2 billion worth of iPhones from India, with a striking 97% headed to the U.S., far above the 2024 average of 50.3%, according to customs data reviewed by Reuters.

In May alone, nearly $1 billion in iPhones were shipped from India to the U.S., second only to March’s record $1.3 billion. In total, Foxconn exported $4.4 billion worth of iPhones to the U.S. in the first five months of 2025—already exceeding the full-year 2024 figure of $3.7 billion.

This shift reflects Apple’s strategic response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policy. China now faces 55% tariffs, while India, despite a baseline 10%, is negotiating to avoid an additional 26% levy. Trump has publicly criticized Apple’s India production, stating the company should manufacture in the U.S.

Apple has accelerated its India operations, even chartering planes in March to fly iPhone 13, 14, 16, and 16e models worth $2 billion to the U.S. The company has also lobbied Indian officials to reduce customs clearance time at Chennai airport from 30 to 6 hours.

Tata Electronics, another iPhone supplier, exported 86% of its iPhones to the U.S. in March and April. It began shipments in July 2024 with just 52% going to the U.S. that year.

India’s push to become a smartphone manufacturing hub is hampered by high import duties on components, but analysts expect India-made iPhones to account for 25%–30% of global shipments in 2025, up from 18% in 2024.