Tim Cook Snubs Trump’s Middle East Tour, iPhones Face Tariff Threat Amid India Shift

During his trip to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, Trump praised other attending CEOs like Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, BlackRock’s Larry Fink, Citigroup’s Jane Fraser, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman. But he made a point to call out Cook’s absence: “Tim Cook isn’t here, but you are,” he told Huang, adding in Qatar that he had “a little problem with Tim Cook.”

That problem quickly turned into a threat: Trump posted on social media that he might impose a 25% tax on iPhones manufactured outside the US—a direct jab at Apple’s growing overseas production, especially in India. This surprised even his own aides, especially after Cook had recently negotiated a separate tax relief for iPhones made in China.

Apple, meanwhile, is ramping up its India strategy. Foxconn is investing $1.5 billion to build a new factory near Chennai, aiming to assemble iPhone components like display modules. As India grows into a major smartphone hub, Apple is expected to scale up operations in the region significantly.

Trump, however, is vocal in opposing Apple’s India expansion, arguing that iPhones should be manufactured within the US. This dispute has turned a business strategy into a political flashpoint, potentially fraying the once-stable ties between Cook and the former president.

Both Apple and the White House have declined to comment on the issue.

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