Trump's trade policies could make the price of an iPhone skyrocket


Donald Trump has vowed to get "Apple to start building their damn computers and things in this country, instead of in other countries," but that could mean your iPhone is about to get a whole lot more expensive, The Washington Post reports.
Trump has long promised to put an end to the proliferation of Chinese-manufactured products in the U.S., and to do so he has floated instating a tax as high as 45 percent on Chinese goods. "If [Trump] institutes a 35-percent penal tariff on every export from China, then most of what you buy at Walmart is 35 percent more expensive," Roger Entner of Recon Analytics explained. While some analysts say the tariff wouldn't necessarily trigger a parallel jump in prices, it would still make manufacturing iPhones significantly more expensive for Apple — and, in turn, for you to buy. A mere 15 percent tax could push iPhones up $50 in cost.
That's not to mention the fact that China has warned of "countermeasures" if Trump tries to launch a trade war. But if Trump were to actually try to yank Apple's manufacturing from China altogether, it would spell an even bigger mess:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
To truly bring Apple's manufacturing back to the United States — meaning not just the final assembly of the phones and computers but the production of components by suppliers — would take tens of billions of dollars in new factory construction costs alone, Entner said.That doesn't consider the additional investments in education the United States would need to make to staff those factories [...] Considering the deficit in skilled U.S. workers, any plan to move Apple's manufacturing back to the United States probably would require hiring more foreign workers until enough Americans could be trained to take those jobs.All of this could be occurring against the backdrop of a trade-induced recession. As many as 4 million U.S. jobs would be lost as a result of Trump's trade war, and 3 million jobs would never be created, according to Moody's Analytics. [The Washington Post]
Read more about the potential downfalls to a trade war with China at The Washington Post.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
5 heavy-handed cartoons about ICE and deportation
Cartoons Artists take on international students, the Supreme Court, and more
By The Week US
-
Exploring the three great gardens of Japan
The Week Recommends Beautiful gardens are 'the stuff of Japanese landscape legends'
By The Week UK
-
Is Prince Harry owed protection?
Talking Point The Duke of Sussex claims he has been singled out for 'unjustified and inferior treatment' over decision to withdraw round-the-clock security
By The Week UK
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US Steel
Speed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US