The technological giant Apple chartered load flights to transport 600 tons of iPhones, or up to 1.5 million units, to the United States from India, after increasing production there in an effort to dodge the tariffs of President Donald Trump, sources told Reuters.
Details provide a vision of the private strategy of the US smartphone company to adapt to Trump’s tariffs and accumulate inventory of its popular iPhones in the United States, one of its largest markets.
Analysts have warned that the American prices of iPhones could shoot themselves, given the high Apple dependence on China imports, the main manufacturing center of the devices, which is subject to the highest tariff rate of Trump, of 125%. This figure far exceeds the 26% tariff to imports from India, but that is now suspended after Trump summoned this week a 90 -day break that excludes China. Apple “wanted to dodge the tariff,” said one of the familiar sources with planning.
The company pressed to the Indian airport authorities to reduce the time necessary to pass customs at the Chennai airport, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, in front of 30 hours, the source added.
The so -called “Green Corridor” of the Airport of the Indian Production Center emulates the model that Apple uses in some China airports, according to the source.
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Apple sells more than 220 million iPhones a year worldwide
About six cargo planes with a capacity of 100 tons each have flown since March, one of them this week, just when the new tariffs entered into force, they said the source and a representative of the Indian government.
The weight of an iPhone 14 and its load cable is about 350 grams, according to Reuters measurements, which implies that the total cargo of 600 tons includes around 1.5 million iPhones, once the weight of the packaging has been counted.
Apple and the Indian Aviation Ministry did not respond to the request for comments. All sources requested anonymity because the strategy and conversations were private.
Apple sells more than 220 million iPhones a year worldwide, and Counterpoint Research estimates that a fifth of total imports from iPhone to the United States now come from India, and the rest of China.
Trump systematically increased US tariffs to China, until they were placed on Wednesday in 125%, compared to the previous 54%.
With the 54%tariff rate, the cost of $ 1,599 of the IPhone 16 Pro Max high -end in the United States would have triggered up to $ 2,300, according to calculations based on projections of Rosenblatt Securities.
With Reuters information.
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