Donald Trump addresses iPhone tariffs amid growing concerns about cost of Apple products

The US President has made a shocking move this week in revealing the tariffs he intends to place upon Apple products.

Donald Trump's latest decision comes from weeks of controversial tax increase announcements - both on imports from around the world, and on the everyday essential products purchased by American citizens.

On 'Liberation Day' (2 Apr), the Republican leader announced the staggering reciprocal tariffs he's set to impose on a number of nations across the globe in the coming days and weeks.

"We've been waiting for a long time, April 2, 2025, will forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn, the day America's destiny was reclaimed, and the day that we began to 'Make America Wealthy Again,'" he proudly claimed at the time.

As well as implementing a baseline 10 per cent tax to imports from all countries (except Canada and Mexico), he also hit 60 countries with 'unfair trade practices' with a 'reciprocal' duty tax of up to 50 per cent.

Trump unveiled his new tariffs earlier this month (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

In the weeks that followed, 78-year-old Trump landed China with the highest tariffs of all, with a new 125 per cent import tax.

The Asian country subsequently vowed to 'fight to the end' of the now-ignited trade war, refusing to remove its own tariffs and retaliating with an 84 per cent tax on American goods.

As we say, however, after sparking the tensions with his eyebrow-raising Chinese tariffs, Trump has now turned his attention towards Apple products - more than 80 per cent of which are produced in China.

Thousands of US residents previously feared how the Republican leader's taxing rampage would affect them.

One predicted on X (formerly Twitter): "iPhones could cost up to $2.3k in the US due to Trump’s tariffs. The company assembles majority of iPhones in China, and products imported to the U.S. from China will be subject to a 54% tariff."

Another chimed in on the debate: "Now I totally get what Trump is trying to do-bring industry and manufacturing back in house, but I promise you, there is no work force in America who will work as quickly and efficiently as the work force in China.

Over 80 per cent of Apple products are made in China (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

"We will be waiting 10 years for the next iPhone release," they added.

A third penned: "'Analysts' are saying a new iPhone will cost $3500 with Trump's tariffs because Apple 'will pass the costs onto consumers'.

"Lol, NO THEY WON'T! Apple won't charge $3500 for an iPhone because NO ONE WOULD BUY IT!

"It only costs Apple $435 to make an iPhone in China!"

In a shock twist of fate, however, it has now been revealed that Trump will be sparing the likes of iPhones, laptops, hard drives, memory chips, processors and a number of other electronic items from his brutal taxes upon China.

Both Apple and Samsung - along with several other businesses in this sector - will avoid both the 125 per cent import tax, and his sweeping 10 per cent tariff across the board.

News of their exemption was announced by US Customs and Border Protection on Friday (11 Apr), relieving a number of experts who alleged it would have taken the United States years to create the same level of manufacturing efficiency as China.

It remains unclear whether the exemption will be permanent, or is simply a temporary measure.

The tariff exemption could be temporary (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

According to Bloomberg, it could simply be replaced by a different, probably lower tariff than the 125 per cent already announced.

White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, told the Mail of this possibility with a rather cryptic statement.

"President Trump has made it clear America cannot rely on China to manufacture critical technologies such as semiconductors, chips, smartphones, and laptops," she began.

"That’s why the President has secured trillions of dollars in U.S. investments from the largest tech companies in the world, including Apple, TSMC, and Nvidia."

Leavitt continued: "At the direction of the President, these companies are hustling to onshore their manufacturing in the United States as soon as possible."