Apple airlifts nearly 15 lakh iPhones from India to US to escape tariff

Apple has airlifted around 1.5 million iPhones from India to the United States, under the mounting pressure President Donald Trump's trade policies are exerting on global tech supply chains.

Faced with tariffs on Chinese imports skyrocketing to 125 per cent — more than four times the 26 per cent levy on Indian goods — Apple chartered cargo jets to transport 600 tons of iPhones from its manufacturing base in southern India, Reuters reported, citing a source. 

The company aimed to build up US inventory before the full brunt of the tariffs hits.

"Apple wanted to beat the tariff," a source familiar with the logistics told Reuters, pointing to the company's months-long push to streamline exports from India, including negotiating a faster customs clearance at Chennai airport.

The effort involved lobbying for a "green corridor" that slashed customs processing time from 30 hours to just six, mirroring systems Apple has used in China. 

Since March, at least six 100-ton-capacity cargo jets have flown iPhones from India to the US, with one arriving just as new tariffs took effect this week, the news agency claimed.

Analysts surmise the top-end iPhone 16 Pro Max, currently priced at $1,599, could cost as much as $2,300 in the US under the full Chinese import tariff. Apple, which sells over 220 million iPhones annually, now sources about 20 per cent of its US-bound devices from India, with the rest still coming from China.

Apple recently ramped up production in India by 20 per cent, and mandated work on Sundays. The facility produced 20 million iPhones in 2024, including the latest iPhone 15 and 16 models.

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