Apple is making bold moves to beat the heat of U.S.-China tariffs, and the numbers don’t lie. According to newly released customs data, a staggering 97% of iPhones exported by Foxconn from India between March and May 2025 were shipped directly to the United States. This marks a major shift from 2024, when only about half of India-made iPhones went to the U.S.
The change shows Apple’s strategic pivot to reduce its dependence on China for iPhone manufacturing and avoid stiff U.S. import tariffs under former President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade policies.
Between March and May, Foxconn—a key Apple supplier—exported $3.2 billion worth of iPhones from India, with nearly all of it headed to the U.S. In May alone, almost $1 billion worth of iPhones left India for America, just shy of the record $1.3 billion in March. For context, total shipments from India to the U.S. in all of 2024 stood at $3.7 billion. This year, Foxconn has already topped that with $4.4 billion in exports by May.
Apple hasn’t commented publicly, and Foxconn also declined to respond to media inquiries. But the reasons for this shift are obvious.
Trump recently announced a harsh 55% tariff on Chinese goods, part of a new trade plan that’s still pending final approval. India, like many U.S. trading partners, is dealing with a 10% base tariff, but it’s working hard to avoid a potential 26% “reciprocal” tariff that Trump floated earlier this year.
Apple’s increased reliance on India hasn’t gone unnoticed. In May, Trump criticized Apple CEO Tim Cook, saying, “We are not interested in you building in India… We want you to build here.” Despite that, Apple appears to be doubling down on India to protect its bottom line.
To speed up delivery and cut costs, Apple even chartered flights in March to airlift iPhone 13, 14, 16, and 16e models worth about $2 billion directly to the U.S. The company also pushed Indian airport authorities to reduce customs clearance time at Chennai airport—from 30 hours down to just six. That airport has become a crucial export hub for iPhones.
India’s Tata Electronics, another Apple supplier, is following suit. In March and April, 86% of its shipments also went to the U.S., up from just 52% in 2024. Tata only began exporting iPhones in July last year and is quickly becoming a key player.
Analysts believe this trend will continue. Prachir Singh from Counterpoint Research estimates that India-made iPhones could account for 25–30% of all global iPhone shipments in 2025—up from 18% last year.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has long pushed India as a smartphone production hub, high import duties on phone components still make manufacturing in India more expensive than in many other countries.
Still, Apple’s strategy is clear: shift production to India, dodge China tariffs, and keep U.S. prices in check.
