A. M. The President of the United States, Donald Trump, sparked controversy by threatening to impose a 50% tariff on all imports from the European Union and 25% on Apple products that are not manufactured within the country. Through social media posts, Trump expressed his frustration at the lack of progress in trade negotiations with the EU and demanded that iPhone production be moved to the United States.
Trump criticized Brussels’ approach, which has proposed eliminating tariffs mutually, while he insists on maintaining a 10% base tax. In the face of what he called “stalled” talks, he announced that he will push for a 50% tariff starting June 1, 2025, except if the products are produced on U.S. soil.
Apple was a direct target of his threats. Trump publicly recalled that he warned Tim Cook (Apple CEO) about the need to manufacture iPhones in the United States. If not complied with, he warned, the company’s products will have to pay a 25% tax, defying his previous promise that the tariffs would be borne by foreign countries.
The measure could have strong repercussions on prices. According to analysts, manufacturing iPhones in the U.S. would raise their price up to 3,500 dollars. Apple, which has diversified its production to India and Vietnam, has warned that these changes are intended to adapt to the climate of tariff uncertainty.
Trump’s new threats reinforce his style of aggressive trade pressure, although it remains to be seen whether they will achieve favorable results or generate greater tensions with key allies and technology giants.
