India overtakes China in US iPhone shipments, sees a 76% surge in April

iPhone exports from India to the United States soared 76% year-on-year in April, according to new estimates by market research firm Omdia, underscoring Apple’s accelerating pivot away from China amid shifting trade policies under President Donald Trump.

Roughly 3 million iPhones made in India were shipped to the US in April — a stark contrast to Chinese shipments, which plummeted by 76% to just 900,000 units. This marks the first time India has consistently outpaced China in supplying iPhones to the American market, according to a report by CNBC.

The shift reflects Apple’s long-term efforts to diversify its manufacturing base, a strategy that began during the pandemic but has gained urgency in response to recent tariffs. Trump’s “reciprocal tariff” policy, launched on April 2, has imposed a 30% duty on iPhones from China, compared to a 10% baseline for imports from other countries, including India.

Le Xuan Chiew, research manager at Omdia, said Apple’s proactive adaptation was evident. “Apple has been preparing for this kind of trade disruption for years,” he noted. “The April spike likely reflects strategic stockpiling ahead of tariff hikes.”

Despite the tariff carve-out for consumer electronics announced on April 11, Apple’s trajectory hasn’t shifted. CEO Tim Cook confirmed in May that most iPhones sold in the US will be made in India in the June quarter.

However, the growth may not be sustainable in the short term. Chiew cautioned that India’s manufacturing capacity — while improving — remains limited. US demand for iPhones hovers around 20 million per quarter, a level India is unlikely to match before 2026.

Still, the April figures suggest that Apple’s supply chain strategy is already paying off — both in tariff savings and geopolitical risk mitigation.