In a rush to beat a new tax, Apple flew five full planes loaded with iPhones and other gadgets from India to the United States—all in just three days.
The last-minute shipments happened during the final week of March. According to a Times of India report, the move was triggered by a 10% tariff announced by US President Donald Trump’s administration, which kicked in on April 5. This tariff would have made Apple pay more to bring products into the US.
To avoid those extra costs, Apple quickly sent products that were already made in India and China to its warehouses in the US. Usually, this time of year isn’t busy for shipping, but the company didn’t want to take any chances.
The idea behind the rush was simple: stock up before the new tax hits. By getting their products into the country early, Apple can continue selling them at current prices, at least for a while. This also helps them avoid raising prices for customers right away.
Apple is not planning to increase prices in India or other countries just yet. But if the tariffs stick around, prices could go up in more than one region.
India is becoming a bigger part of Apple’s global game plan. With the US now also preparing to add a 26% tariff starting April 9, Apple may rely even more on India. That’s because goods from India face lower import taxes than those from China—26% versus 54%. This makes India a smarter and cheaper place for Apple to build its devices.
Right now, Apple is already making iPhones and AirPods in India. And with these changing trade rules, India might just become Apple’s favorite place to manufacture in the years ahead.
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