Apple’s iPhone shipments from India to the US saw a remarkable 76% increase in April compared to last year, ahead iPhone 17 series launch. This surge is part of Apple’s broader strategy to ramp up “Made in India” production, although analysts warn that this initiative might encounter pushback from both former President Donald Trump and Beijing. According to data from Canalys, which is now part of Omdia (as reported by CNBC), around 3 million iPhones made their way from India to the U.S. in April.
On the flip side, shipments from China during the same period plummeted by about 76% year-over-year, dropping to a mere 900,000 units. Omdia’s smartphone statistics are derived from a mix of customs records and data from distribution channels used by iPhone sellers.
Le Xuan Chiew, a research manager at Omdia, stated that the April figures reflect Apple’s proactive efforts to respond to Washington’s tariffs on China, the country where the majority of iPhones are produced.
“This latest trade war with China, is the type of disturbance that Apple has long been trying to prepare itself for,” he said.
Apple ramped up its manufacturing efforts in India during the pandemic, and in March, India actually overtook China for the first time in iPhone exports to the US. This surge happened as Apple was busy stockpiling devices in anticipation of new tariffs that President Donald Trump announced on April 2.
iPhones made in China are still facing a hefty 30% tariff, while those coming from India enjoy a lower tax rate of just 10%. Experts point out that even though India is ramping up its production capabilities, it probably won’t be able to meet the U.S. demand of about 20 million units each quarter until at least 2026. Since a lot of the sub-assembly work is still happening in China, fully achieving manufacturing independence seems like a far-off dream.
On another note, former President Trump has warned that he might slap a 25% tariff on all imported iPhones unless they’re made right here in the US. At the same time, there are reports that China is putting the squeeze on Indian suppliers, restricting their access to advanced machinery and skilled workers.
Daniel Newman, the CEO and lead analyst at Futurum Group, shared that the export statistics mainly reflect the final assembly stage. He emphasized that most of the sub-assembly work is still happening in China, and moving these operations to other locations would require a considerable amount of time and financial investment.