Foxconn Ships 97% of India-Made iPhones to U.S. Amid Apple’s Tariff Strategy

Faxconn has shipped 97% of India-made iPhones to the U.S. as Apple strengthens its tariff strategy to avoid high import duties on China-made devices

July 10, 2025 10:45 PM

2 MIN TO READ

Bill O'Neill

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Apple

pple has been actively adjusting its tariff strategy by exporting nearly all the iPhones made in India by Foxconn, surpassing the average of 50% of devices delivered

delivered in 2024.

If previous numbers show India’s exports were widely distributed to other countries like Britain, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic, now Apple has shifted its tariff strategy to focus entirely on the U.S. market.

Between March and May, Foxconn shipped $3.2 billion worth of iPhones from India, with a notable 97% destined for the U.S. compared to 50% in 2024

In may alone, nearly $1 billion in iPhones made by Foxconn were shipped from India to the United States, almost as high as the record from march, of $1.3 billion worth of devices.

Apple’s high exports from India come as a reaction to the U.S imposing 55% tariffs on China, under a new agreement to reduce previously imposed tariffs, which have climbed over 100%. However, this plan still needs to be approved by both leaders of the countries.

India currently faces a standard 10% tariff, similar to most countries that trade with the U.S. The $26 “reciprocal” tariff announced by Trump is not yet in effect because India and the U.S. are still negotiating a possible deal.

In May, Trump strongly criticized Apple for increasing its production in India."We are not interested in you building in India, India can take care of themselves, they are doing very well, we want you to build here," the President told Apple’s CEO Jim Cook.

To accelerate its tariff strategy, Apple is trying to speed up production in India to avoid the high tariffs that make importing phones from China to the U.S. much more expensive. In March, Apple flew new tech iPhone models 13, 14, 15, and 16e, worth about $2 billion, to the U.S. by plane.

The tech giant has also asked India Chennai airport ( a major iPhone export hub) to shorten customs clearance time from 30 hours to 6 hours.

"We expect made-in-India iPhones to account for 25% to 30% of global iPhone shipments in 2025, as compared to 18% in 2024," declared the senior analyst at Counterpoint Research, Prachir Singh.

‍Tata Electronics, a smaller iPhone supplier based in India, shipped about 86% of its production during March and April, according to customs data. The company only began shipping iPhones in July 2024, with only 52% of its shipments headed to the U.S. that year.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pushed to make India a global smartphone manufacturing hub, high import duties on phone components still make local production more costly than in other countries.

Previously, Apple sold more than 60 million iPhones each year in the U.S., with 80% coming from China. Now, the recent moves made by Apple and suppliers reflect a new tech manufacturing relocation.