Apple airlifted iPhones worth a record $2 billion from India in March as Trump tariffs loomed
Published Tue, Apr 15 202511:00 AM EDT

Customers queue outside an Apple Inc. store ahead of its opening hours during the first day of sale of the iPhone 15 smartphone in Mumbai, India, on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. Delivery times for the just-unveiled iPhone 15 Pro quickly slipped until November for some configurations, suggesting that demand is strong for the high-end versions of Apple's new lineup.

Apple’s main India suppliers Foxconn
and Tata shipped nearly $2 billion worth of iPhones to the United States in March, an all-time high, as the U.S. company airlifted devices to bypass President Donald Trump’s impending tariffs, customs data shows.

The smartphone maker stepped up production in India and chartered cargo flights to ferry 600 tons of iPhones to the United States to ensure sufficient inventory in one of its biggest markets on concern Trump’s tariffs would push up costs.

In April, the U.S. administration imposed 26% duties on imports from India, much lower than the more than 100% China was facing at the time. Trump has since paused most duties, except for China, for three months.

Foxconn, Apple’s main India supplier, exported smartphones worth $1.31 billion in March, its highest ever for a single month and equal to shipments for January and February combined, according to commercially available customs data reviewed by Reuters.

This included Apple iPhone 13, 14, 16 and 16e models, and took Foxconn’s total shipments from India to the United States this year to $5.3 billion.

Exports from Tata Electronics, another Apple supplier, stood at $612 million in March, around 63% higher than the previous month, and included iPhone 15 and 16 models.

Apple, Foxconn and Tata did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Reuters is the first to report the shipment details.

Customs data showed all Foxconn shipments to the United States in March were by air from the Chennai Air Cargo terminal, and landed at various locations, including Los Angeles and New York, with Chicago receiving the majority.

Trump later granted exclusions from steep tariffs on smartphones and some other electronics imported largely from China, but later indicated that those exemptions will likely be short-lived.

To expedite shipments, Apple lobbied Indian airport authorities to cut the time needed to clear customs at Chennai airport in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, to six hours down from 30 hours.

At least six cargo jets were used in the operation which one source described was a way to “beat the tariffs”.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/1...-tariffs-loomed.html

Overtaken by Events: a day later Trump exempted phones and laptops from the tariffs.

quote:

Originally posted by sjtill:
Overtaken by Events: a day later Trump exempted phones and laptops from the tariffs.

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Yup, the joke was on Apple.

I am a bit surprised that they shipped old models. Expect a sale, Apple is famous for, $10 off.