Trump advisor Peter Navarro blasts Tim Cook for making iPhones in China

Core Viewpoint - The Trump administration, particularly through trade advisor Peter Navarro, is intensifying pressure on Apple to relocate its iPhone manufacturing from China to the United States, criticizing CEO Tim Cook for not making sufficient progress in this area [1][3][9]. Group 1: Pressure from the Trump Administration - Navarro expressed confusion over Apple's continued reliance on China for iPhone production, suggesting that advanced manufacturing techniques and AI advancements should enable production elsewhere, including the U.S. [2] - President Trump has made Apple a focal point in his push for domestic manufacturing, demanding that all iPhones sold in the U.S. be manufactured domestically and threatening a 25% tariff on devices made abroad [3][14]. - Trump has communicated directly with Cook, expressing dissatisfaction with Apple's expansion in India and emphasizing the need for production to occur in the U.S. [9][10]. Group 2: Apple's Manufacturing Strategy - Apple currently assembles the majority of its iPhones in China but is gradually shifting some production to India to diversify its supply chains and mitigate rising tariff costs [7][11]. - Analysts argue that fully relocating iPhone production to the U.S. would be logistically and economically impractical, with estimates suggesting a domestically manufactured iPhone could cost as much as $3,500 [8]. - Despite pledges to assemble some products in the U.S., such as the $3,000 Mac Pro, Apple continues to produce very few devices domestically [8]. Group 3: Challenges of Relocation - China's manufacturing ecosystem offers advantages such as a vast skilled workforce, with a single supplier able to hire 3,000 workers overnight, which is unmatched elsewhere [11]. - China graduates approximately 600,000 engineers annually compared to 70,000 in the U.S., providing the technical talent necessary for Apple's complex devices [12]. - The overall cost of production in China remains lower than in the U.S. due to established infrastructure, logistics networks, and government incentives like subsidies and tax breaks, despite rising labor costs [13].