Trump has an 'easy solution' for Apple to get around his 'massive' tariffs on China

Apple will have to raise prices in response to President Trump's escalating trade war with China, the company said in a letter Friday, with hikes affecting products including the Apple Watch, AirPods, Apple Pencil, HomePod, and a number of chargers and other accessories. Trump responded on Twitter Saturday morning with an idea for an "easy" fix:

The president made clear the previous day he has no intention of backing away from his aggressive protectionism despite, as the Apple letter put it, concerns "that the U.S. will be hardest hit, and that will result in lower U.S. growth and competitiveness and higher prices for U.S. consumers."

A new package of tariffs targeting another $200 billion in Chinese exports to America "could take place very soon depending on what happens," Trump said Friday, as could an additional set of taxes on $267 billion in goods. "That totally changes the equation," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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.

Sign up