Washington: Apple has committed to investing an additional $100 billion in the United States, bringing its total pledge to $600 billion over the next four years. This announcement was made by US President Donald Trump at the White House, alongside Apple’s CEO Tim Cook, marking what Trump described as “the largest investment Apple has made in America.”
According to Lao News Agency, the increased investment will significantly boost Apple’s domestic supply chain, with plans to establish a new production facility for the glass used in iPhone screens in Kentucky. This move builds on Apple’s earlier announcement in February to spend over $500 billion in the US and create 20,000 jobs, a decision for which Trump quickly claimed credit.
This investment is an extension of Apple’s plans detailed in 2021, when the company, founded by Steve Jobs, announced a $430 billion investment and the addition of 20,000 jobs over five years. Tim Cook emphasized the scale of their operations, stating that American manufacturers are set to produce 19 billion chips for Apple in 24 factories across 12 states this year alone.
President Trump attributed this substantial investment to his administration’s policies, which have encouraged US companies to repatriate manufacturing operations by imposing tariffs on trading partners. Trump declared this as a step toward ensuring iPhones sold in the US are also made in America, although Cook clarified that while many components will be manufactured domestically, the full assembly of iPhones will continue overseas.
Trump also discussed his intention to impose a 100 percent tariff on imported semiconductors, a significant export from Taiwan, South Korea, China, and Japan. However, Taiwanese company TSMC, a major Apple supplier, will be exempt from these tariffs due to its US-based factories.
The President hinted at upcoming tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals and semiconductors, expected to be announced within a week. He further mentioned that Apple’s involvement in developing and manufacturing semiconductors in Texas, Utah, Arizona, and New York would exempt them from such tariffs.
Despite facing higher costs from existing tariffs, Apple reported a quarterly profit of $23.4 billion in July, surpassing forecasts. The tariffs act as a tax on companies importing goods to the US, which affects Apple’s imports of iPhones and other products or components.
