President Donald Trump expanded his tariff threat beyond Apple to include Samsung and all smartphone manufacturers on Friday. The warning came hours after Trump announced a 25% tariff on Apple iPhones made outside the United States.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump clarified his position: “It would be more. It would also be Samsung and the company that makes that product. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fair”. The President indicated these import levies would be ready for implementation by the end of June.
Fair Play Policy for All Phone Makers
Trump’s expanded threat ensures no smartphone company gets special treatment. The tariff applies to any manufacturer selling devices in the US market without domestic production. “When they build their plant here, there is no tariff,” Trump explained to reporters.
The warning affects major players like Samsung Electronics, which manufactures phones in India, South Korea, Vietnam, and Brazil. Unlike Apple, Samsung closed its last phone manufacturing factory in China in 2019.
Apple Faces Immediate Pressure
Trump’s original threat targeted Apple CEO Tim Cook specifically. The President revealed he agreed with Cook about US manufacturing. “He said he’s moving to India to build plants. I said, that’s OK to go to India, but you’re not allowed to sell here without tariffs“.
Apple’s stock fell 3% in New York trading following Trump’s announcement. The company faces potential costs of up to $900 million in the current quarter due to tariff impacts.
Manufacturing Reality Check
Experts dismiss Trump’s demands as unrealistic. Moving smartphone production to the US would be extremely expensive, with analysts estimating that US-made phones could cost consumers thousands of dollars each. Currently, about 90% of Apple’s smartphones are assembled in China.
The threat poses challenges for companies already diversifying away from China. Apple planned to transfer bulk iPhone production to India to avoid Chinese tariffs, but Trump opposes this strategy.