Will Apple Ever Make iPhones in the U.S.?

Can iPhones really be made in America? It’s a question that’s come up again, first under Obama in 2011, now under Trump in 2025.

The U.S. president is threatening a 25% tariff if Apple doesn’t move iPhone production to the U.S.

But experts and Apple agree, it’s not that simple. Apple plans to ship most U.S. iPhones from India, where labor is cheaper and factories are already running. In China, Apple’s main partner Foxconn can hire up to 900,000 workers, some living in dorms near the plants. That kind of system doesn’t exist in the U.S.

Only 8% of Americans work in manufacturing today. And the work itself has changed; it’s no longer just hands-on labor, but also robotics, data, and AI.

Apple is investing $500 billion in the U.S. to boost AI, software, and smart tech. But not to build iPhones.

If production moved to the U.S., costs could triple. Experts estimate a $3,500 iPhone.

So for now, iPhones will keep being made abroad.