Apple flies 5 planeloads of iPhones from India, China to US ahead of Trump tariffs

"Factories in India and China and other key locations had been shipping products to the U.S. in anticipation of the higher tariffs," a source told The Times of India newspaper.

A baseline 10% tariff was slapped on all U.S. imports on April 5.

As of April 9 additional reciprocal duties introduced by the Trump administration have also taken effect, raising tariffs to 54% on Chinese goods and 27% on imports from India.

To reduce exposure, Apple expedited shipments from its key manufacturing hubs despite March usually being a quiet month for logistics.

The tech giant currently assembles all of its iPhone 15 and 16 models in India and China, according to tech outlet 9to5Mac. By stockpiling inventory in U.S. warehouses ahead of the tariff deadline, Apple aims to delay the financial impact of higher import costs.

"The reserves that arrived at lower duty will temporarily insulate the company from the higher prices it will need to pay for new shipments under the revised tax rates," the source added.

Apple’s U.S. stock is reportedly sufficient to meet demand for several months. However, if the tariffs remain in place, the company may be forced to raise prices globally to protect margins.

"Any price hike to offset this impact cannot be limited to just the U.S. market, but will have to be taken across key global regions, including India," the source said.

Apple is also reassessing its global supply chain as it evaluates how tariff differences between countries could affect pricing and production strategy.

CNBC reported that UBS analysts estimate Trump’s tariffs could raise the U.S. retail price of the iPhone 16 Pro Max by as much as US$350. Apple’s most advanced model currently sells for $1,199, and a nearly 30% increase is expected for units made in China.

The $999 iPhone 16 Pro could see a smaller $120 price increase if manufactured in India, the UBS analysts wrote.