Apple Flies 1.5M iPhones from India to Beat US Tariffs

Post by: Layla Badr

Photo: Reuters

Apple, the famous tech company that makes iPhones, recently sent about 1.5 million iPhones from India to the United States using special cargo flights. These flights were arranged quickly because Apple wanted to avoid paying high taxes (called tariffs) set by U.S. President Donald Trump on products made in China.

Why Did Apple Do This?

Most iPhones are made in China, but the U.S. government raised taxes on Chinese goods to 125%, which would make iPhones much more expensive in the U.S. To avoid this, Apple increased its iPhone production in India, where the tax is only 26%—and that is currently paused for 90 days.

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To beat the deadline before the high taxes started, Apple chartered (hired) six big cargo planes, each carrying 100 tons of iPhones from India. In total, 600 tons of iPhones were shipped, which adds up to about 1.5 million phones when you include the weight of the phone and its packaging.

Special Help from India

Apple worked with Indian airport officials at Chennai airport, asking them to clear the phones through customs in just 6 hours instead of the usual 30 hours. This faster system, called a "green corridor," is similar to what Apple already uses in some Chinese airports.

It took eight months for Apple to plan all of this. The Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also supported Apple by asking officials to help speed up the process.

Big Production Push in India

To make more iPhones quickly, Apple increased work at its Foxconn factory in Chennai, India’s biggest iPhone-making plant. They even started working on Sundays, which is usually a holiday in India. This helped Apple increase production by 20%.

Last year, that factory made about 20 million iPhones, including the new iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models. Apple’s other supplier in India, Tata, is also building two more factories to help with iPhone production.

More iPhones Now Made in India

Experts say that now, 1 out of every 5 iPhones sold in the U.S. comes from India, while the rest still come from China.

Shipping records show that in January and February, Foxconn sent iPhones worth $770 million and $643 million from India to the U.S.—a big jump from previous months when shipments were worth only $110 to $331 million.

Most of these shipments landed in big U.S. cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco.

What Would Happen Without This Move?

If Apple had not made this move, prices of iPhones in the U.S. could have gone up a lot. For example, the high-end iPhone 16 Pro Max, which usually costs $1,599, could have gone up to $2,300 if the phones were still coming from China under the new 125% tax rate.

By moving more of its manufacturing to India and flying in iPhones quickly, Apple has found a way to save money and keep prices stable for U.S. customers.

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