Apple Airlifts as Many as 1.5M iPhones From India To Circumvent Trump Tariffs, Sources Say

Apple may have made a drastic move in an effort to circumvent some of the brunt of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, according to Reuters. Citing sources who spoke to the outlet, Reuters claimed that approximately 600 tons — or as many as 1.5 million iPhones — have been ferried stateside by chartered cargo planes.

India currently faces a 26% reciprocal tariff from the Unites States, which has been afforded a 90-day pause since Trump’s announcement on April 9 — in addition to a 10% blanket tariff on exports headed to U.S. shores. The latter tariff remains in place as trade negotiations proceed, per CNBCTV18.

Apple has been accelerating production in India in an effort to get ahead of any tariffs, and this latest move may be an effort to get products in the hands of American consumers before significant tariff costs enter the supply chain. Apple wanted to “beat the tariff,” according to Reuters’ sources.

Apple Lobbied Indian Airport Authorities To Slash Customs Clearance Times: Sources

In addition, Apple allegedly lobbied Indian airport authorities at the Chennai airport, located in the state of Tamil Nadu, to slash the time required for customs clearance from 30 hours to just six.

Since March, six cargo planes with a capacity of about 100 tons each have departed for U.S. shores while laden with the latest iPhone, the outlet reported — one of these recently flying out just this week as the latest tariffs took effect.

Apple Continues To Ramp Up Production of iPhone in India, Adding Sunday Shifts

The anonymous sources speaking to Reuters indicated that Apple had worked hard toward a target of 20% increased production in India, with workers being added to assembly lines and the Foxconn India factory also working Sunday shifts.

Sources directly familiar with the situation told Reuters that the Foxconn plant in Chennai was, in fact, operational on Sundays, which is typically a work holiday. That plant was responsible for producing 20 million iPhones last year.

“Foxconn shipments from India to the United States surged in value to $770 million in January and $643 million in February, compared to the range of $110 million to $331 million in the prior four months, commercially available customs data shows,” Reuters reported.