Apple plans to bypass US tariffs in order to import iPhones

Trump’s new import tariffs could increase iPhone prices in the United States by up to 40 percent. A surprising strategy shows where Apple now wants to move its production: Brazil could become a life over – with just one tenth of the China tariffs.

Apple is looking for way out of the customs trap

It is no secret that the tech industry is also faced with a problem by US President Donald Trump. But now speculations are being loud, according to which Apple has a plan B in the drawer to save tariffs. The technology giant, which receives more than half of its iPhones from China, could be faced with price increases of 30 to 40 percent solely by the new tariffs. In response to this, Apple is apparently considering expanding its production capacities in Brazil – Lenovo has already announced a similar step.

Brazilian alternative with potential

The new tariffs hit Apple particularly hard. 54 percent will be due for imports from China, 26 percent for imports from India. For the group, which sells over 220 million iPhones annually and has its largest market in the United States, these additional costs could have devastating effects. The Apple share had already collected the announcement by more than eight percent – the strongest decline since September 2020.

According to reports of the Brazilian magazine exame Apple is now intensively checking the option to expand iPhone assembly in Brazil. The decisive advantage of this is that the US government only raises ten percent inches on Brazilian imports, significantly less than in imports from China or India. In the city of Jundiaí in the state of São Paulo, Apple’s long -time partner Foxconn has been running a production facility since 2011.

There, the basic models of the iPhone 13, 14 and 15 are currently being installed for the local market. The work recently also received the approval of the Brazilian telecommunications authority Anatel for the production of the iPhone 16. However, the Pro models have so far been imported.

According to Exame, the considerations for the expansion of production in Brazil started renewing the machine park last year. However, the goal is not primarily to reduce iPhone prices in Brazil itself, but rather the export to the USA. It will be crucial for the success of this strategy whether the production facility in Jundiaí can manage a larger proportion of global iPhone production without compromising during delivery times, logistics and quality control.

In addition, Apple reports alternative export routes and the possibility of customs exemptions through negotiations with the US government.