In a significant move toward bolstering American manufacturing, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced a commitment to increase the company’s investment in U.S. manufacturing by an additional $100 billion over the next four years while standing alongside President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday.
“This is a significant step toward the ultimate goal of ensuring that iPhones sold in the United States of America also are made in America,” President Trump stated during the press conference. He emphasized that today’s announcement represents one of the largest commitments in a historic investment boom for the nation.
Apple’s announcement is part of a broader initiative known as the American Manufacturing Program, aiming to bring more of the company’s supply chain and advanced manufacturing capabilities to the United States.
Although this new pledge does not equate to a full commitment to produce the popular iPhone model domestically, Apple is taking concrete steps toward increasing its local manufacturing efforts.
Tim Cook highlighted that the new investments will focus on collaborating with ten U.S. companies that supply various components for Apple products, including vital semiconductor chips. He expressed gratitude to President Trump for his support in these endeavors.
The new manufacturing partners include a range of well-known companies such as Corning, Coherent, Applied Materials, Texas Instruments, and Broadcom, among others.
Previously, Apple had declared an intention to invest $500 billion in domestic facilities, a figure that will now increase to $600 billion with this new commitment. President Trump has expressed criticism of Apple in recent months, particularly regarding the company’s efforts to relocate iPhone production to India as a strategy to avoid tariffs the administration had proposed for China.
During a visit to Qatar earlier this year, President Trump referred to this issue stating, “I don’t want you building in India,” which underscored the tensions between his administration’s trade policies and Apple’s manufacturing strategies.
Adding to this tension, President Trump signed an order imposing a 25% tariff on imports from India due to its dealings with Russian oil. The additional fees, effective in 21 days, could raise the total tariffs on goods from India to as high as 50%.
Apple’s latest pledge is notable just weeks after the company finalized a $500 million agreement with MP Materials, the sole rare earths producer in the United States, which will allow the expansion of a facility in Texas to utilize recycled materials for the production of magnets critical to iPhone functionality.
In a briefing with investors, Cook pointed out, “There’s a load of different things done in the United States.” He mentioned that certain components of the iPhone, such as the device’s glass display and facial recognition module, are already manufactured domestically. Moreover, he indicated that Apple plans to further increase its production of various components within the U.S.
Cook reaffirmed that there are approximately 19 billion chips produced in the U.S. currently, with goals to expand on that figure, although he did not disclose specific details.
The announcement sparked excitement in the markets, with Apple’s stock surging nearly 6% during midday trading on Wednesday. Analysts attributed this uptick to investors’ satisfaction with Cook’s efforts to mend relations with the Trump administration amid turbulent economic conditions.
Despite the recent gains, Apple’s stock remains down by 14% for the year, a decline influenced by challenges, including setbacks in the competitive field of artificial intelligence.
image source from：abc13
