U.S. President Donald Trump has reiterated his demand that Apple and other tech manufacturers produce their products within the United States if they intend to sell them in the American market. Speaking at a press event on Friday while signing a series of key executive orders—including initiatives to boost nuclear energy—Trump made it clear that foreign production of devices like the iPhone would be met with steep tariffs.
“If they’re to sell it in America, I want it to be built in the United States,” Trump said, emphasizing that his expectation extends to other major tech manufacturers like Samsung as well. “Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fair. So anybody that makes that product,” he added, referring broadly to smartphones and related tech devices.
Trump criticized Apple CEO Tim Cook’s decision to expand production in India, warning that devices assembled outside the U.S. would be subject to a 25% import tariff. “That’s okay to go to India, but you’re not going to sell into here without tariffs,” he stated. He added that companies building production facilities in the U.S. would not face such tariffs, aiming to create an incentive for domestic manufacturing.
Despite concerns about possible price increases, Trump expressed confidence that increased automation would prevent significant cost hikes for consumers. “A lot of it’s so computerized now. These plants are amazing,” he said, while pointing to Apple and chip manufacturers’ significant investments—reportedly in the hundreds of billions of dollars—as signs of a potential shift back to American soil.
Reinforcing his stance on social media, Trump posted on Truth Social:
“I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhones that will be sold in the United States of America to be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else. If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S.”
In addition to trade and manufacturing, Trump also addressed his administration’s crackdown on Harvard University, stating that the elite institution had received billions in federal support while maintaining a $52 billion endowment. He criticized Harvard’s policies and said the university would need to “change its ways,” particularly in regard to its enrollment of international students and its handling of on-campus protests.
A White House statement echoed this position, declaring, “Enrolling foreign students is a privilege, not a right,” and accusing Harvard’s leadership of turning the school into “a hot-bed of anti-American, anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist agitators.”
In a broader policy push, Trump also signed executive orders focused on “unleashing nuclear energy” to secure America’s energy future and boosting public trust in science through what the administration called “Gold Standard Science” reforms.
The latest series of orders reflect Trump’s dual focus on reshoring manufacturing and reshaping elite institutions, marking a continued push toward economic nationalism and institutional accountability.