The Apple technology giant chartered the load flights to carry 600 tons of iPhones, or up to 1.5 million, to the United States of India, after intensifying production there in an effort to defeat President Donald Trump’s tariffs, Fontes told Reuters.
Impulse details provide a US vision Smartphone The company’s private strategy to navigate Trump’s fares and create inventory of its popular iPhones in the United States, one of its largest markets.
Analysts warned that US prices of iPhones It could arise, given Apple’s High confidence in imports from China, the main device manufacturing center, which is subject to the largest Trump rate of 125 %.
This number is far beyond the 26 % tariff in India imports, but it is now on hold after Trump paused 90 days this week that excludes China.
Apple “wanted to win the fare,” said one of the sources familiar with the planning.
The company looked at the Indian airport authorities to cut for six hours the time required to clean customs at Chennai airport in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, below 30 hours, the source added.
The so -called “green corridor” arrangement at Indian manufacturing center airport has emulted a model that Apple uses in some China airports, the source said.
About six load jets with a capacity of 100 tons have been flew since March, one of them this week, when new rates came into action, the source and an Indian government official said.
The packed weight of a iPhone 14 And its loading cable reaches about 350 grams (12.35 oz), show the reuters measurements, implying that the total load of 600 tons comprised about 1.5 million iPhones, after accounting for some package weight.
The Ministry of Aviation of Apple and India did not respond to a request for comment. All sources sought anonymity as a strategy and discussions were private.
Apple sells over 220 million iPhones a year worldwide, with research against -estimating one fifth of total iPhone imports to the United States now come from India and the rest of China.
Trump consistently increased US fees in China, 125 % on Wednesday, from 54 % before.
In the 54 %tariff rate, the cost of US $ 1,599 (approximately rs. 1.37 lakh) of the top iPhone 16 pro max In the United States, it would have risen to $ 2,300 (approximately RS. 1.97 lakh), show calculations based on rosenblatt securities projections.
Sunday shifts
In India, Apple has intensified aerial remittances to achieve its goal of an increase of 20 % in the usual production in IPhone plants, reached by the addition of workers and temporarily extending operations in the largest Foxconn India factory on Sundays, the source added.
Two other direct sources have confirmed the Foxconn factory in Chennai now on Sundays, which is usually a holiday. The factory made 20 million iPhones last year, including the latest iPhone 15 and 16 models.
As Apple diversifies its manufacture beyond China, it has positioned India for a critical role. Foxconn and Tata, its two main suppliers there, have three factories in total, with two more being built.
Apple spent about eight months to plan and establish the accelerated customs clearance in Chennai, and the government of the first -Narendra Modi Modi asked authorities to support Apple, a senior Indian official said.
Foxconn’s remittances from India to the United States increased to $ 770 million (approximately RS. 6,628 crore) in January and US $ 643 million (approximately RS. 5,536 million rings) in February compared to a range of $ 110 million (about RS.
More than 85 % of January and February aerial remittances FOXCONN They were discharged in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.
Foxconn did not respond to Reuters consultations.
© Thomson Reuters 2025
(This story was not edited by the NDTV team and is automatically generated from a union feed.)