iPhones, Macs, and Other Apple Devices Exempted From Trump Tariffs

[Arran]

…I wonder if the pause on electronics is due to lobbying from his newfound friends, CEO’s of tech companies, or due to a realisation the tech products is an emotionally important product for people, and might lead to a strong downturn in support…

That’s exactly it. A brutal hike on smartphones and other personal tech would have whipped up a firestorm on social media. Social media doesn’t take prisoners. Trump’s lies that China was paying the tariffs would have been blown wide open as soon as prices to US consumers went through the roof.

It would’ve been Trump’s Waterloo. I guess his backers (or is it puppet masters?) got yippy again when they realized their useful idiot in the Oval Office was about to be cancelled.

 

[AppliedMicro]

Now, companies like Lululemon that make all their clothing in Vietnam when the USA has many closing manufacturers ready to ramp up production? Absolutely. The margin on clothing is very high and they can still make a good profit making them in the USA

They could - but why would they? Turkey, Brazil and several Central American countries are subject to only 10% in tariffs. Pretty sure that beats manufacturing clothing in the U.S.

Besides, has Lululemon ever (when?) been about "locally manufactured" clothing? Or an American company, for that matter? It's about as American as Boeing is Virginian or used to be a Chicagoan company (i.e. incorporated there only for convenience purposes).

 

[DJC631]

"Art of the Deal"

I can't keep up at this point

 

[attila]

What's the point of tariffs if the largest businesses are exempt from it? I don't support any of Trump's actions, but this should make him look weak, but his voters are blinded by his fake "American dream" image.

 

[sdz]

From European perspective it's like this:
View attachment 2501682

The Fart of the deal

 

[vegetassj4]

What AI image generator have you used? Because that one looks so great, realistic, and with good image quality, that doesn’t look like Dall-e.

Is it Grok?

Just did a Google search

 

[Expos of 1969]

It's not a competition as to who was first. He did what he needed to do and Apple's 2+ Billion active customers will continue to purchase iPhones and computers without having to pay for new tariffs. And keep Apple being one of the most successful tech companies in the world.

It's bewildering so many people live to dislike Cook, day after day after day. It appears many do so annoyed by Apple's and his success.

You called it brilliant but now say it was what he needed to do.
It is bewildering how some people live to worship Cook and greatly exaggerate his actions.

 

[zoozx]

When your population is 50 % stupid a failed con man on multiple levels can get away with anything.

 

[citysnaps]

You called it brilliant but now say it was what he needed to do.
It is bewildering how some people live to worship Cook and greatly exaggerate his actions.

Yep. It was brilliant and Cook needed to do it. And Apple's 2+ Billion active customers will benefit by not having to pay extra tariffs. That nothing to get upset about.

 

[uacd]

-

 

[fatTribble]

I don't feel for American citizens because USA is spending trillions of dollars on military to "protect" American soil and citizens just to leave those same citizens on the streets dying if they cannot afford health care.

Maybe you could feel for the American “citizens on the streets dying if they cannot afford healthcare”.
Less than half of the country voted for the current president.

 

[Lioness~]

And what did Timmy have to promise Trump in return?

A new shiny Orange iPhone will soon arrive - the Presidential version.

 

[darkpaw]

Of course that's not how it went, because that is an absurd narrative, but that's not how "pay to play" works. It's far more systemic.

It's all about access, and the motivations behind tariffs are far more than the publicly stated ones (which I have no doubt are the intent, but there are many more). One of those is very likely to create a domestic contingent of "winners" and "losers". And in that way, there is no such thing as "bit late", because "win" and "lose" is relative.

By purchasing access with exactly donations like this tcook got himself/aapl a seat/shot at the "winner's" circle where the deck is now stacked to give them some insulation (likely merely one such "donation" in Beltway access games, one in which lobbyists, development companies, PACs, Super PACs, etc transfer massive amounts of not just direct wealth but access, favor, and market-influence/making).

Think I am nuts? Look at how the exemptions are carved out. It's a very good market position for those who made it "in" and those that didn't.

It is 100% how Washington works, whether we want to admit it to ourselves or not.

Then my point stands. Why would anyone deal with Trump if giving him money gets you just enough access to do a bit, but not enough to stop your company losing hundreds of billions in value?

Trump cannot be trusted.

 

[wdfly]

I have to really wonder about people who think it is a bad thing to manufacture things here in the US. The only reason these people can support this is they still have jobs that have not been outsourced yet. It's a classic example of the old parable, "It's a recession if my neighbor loses their job, it's a depression if you lose yours". The "OMG things will cost more" crowd simply does not understand that more manufacturing here will make pay rates rise and increase the value of everything, including the US dollar which means you will have more disposable income to afford these price increases. Alas, they will never learn.

 

[NufSaid]

Those who see all of this as the actions of mad man don't remember his first term. All planned.
he wants those electronics manufacturers to start thinking of making things elsewhere. China has used very dishonest practices to extend it influence and this is how it ends.

 

[darkpaw]

I have to really wonder about people who think it is a bad thing to manufacture things here in the US. The only reason these people can support this is they still have jobs that have not been outsourced yet. It's a classic example of the old parable, "It's a recession if my neighbor loses their job, it's a depression if you lose yours". The "OMG things will cost more" crowd simply does not understand that more manufacturing here will make pay rates rise and increase the value of everything, including the US dollar which means you will have more disposable income to afford these price increases. Alas, they will never learn.

No one is saying it's a bad thing to manufacture things in the US, but you have a 4% unemployment rate. You simply don't have the numbers of people required to fill the jobs to manufacture things in the US, and you don't have the skills.

You don't have the factories and the equipment, and you don't have the people with the skills to run that equipment.

Sure, you could train people to run those machines, but that takes time and money, and it takes people. You don't have the people...

If you want to start manufacturing things in the US you need to move people out of their current jobs and into manufacturing jobs, and who's going to do that? Would Starbucks shut down half their coffee shops so there's a pool of people who need a job, and who could go off into a manufacturing job? No.

And remember, if you think Apple could make an iPhone in the US and keep the prices the same, you're lying to yourself. Labour is cheaper overseas. You said it yourself: "manufacturing here will make pay rates rise" - that labour cost feeds into the cost of the products produced in the US. Economists have already said a $1,000 iPhone would cost $2,300. You wanna pay twice the amount you currently pay, even with higher wages?

How would iPhones that cost twice the price affect Apple's overseas sales? If pay rates rise in the US but nowhere else (as in, why would pay rates rise in the UK, EU, India... if iPhones are manufactured in the US...?) fewer iPhones would be sold overseas, and that affects Apple's sales, meaning fewer iPhones are required, and fewer jobs.

It's all linked.

 

[DrJR]

The prices have already been jacked up, so do we get a refund?

 

[DrJR]

Love it! Everything is going according to plan!

 

[bekiil]

Smells fishy

 

[paulvee]

I have to really wonder about people who think it is a bad thing to manufacture things here in the US. The only reason these people can support this is they still have jobs that have not been outsourced yet. It's a classic example of the old parable, "It's a recession if my neighbor loses their job, it's a depression if you lose yours". The "OMG things will cost more" crowd simply does not understand that more manufacturing here will make pay rates rise and increase the value of everything, including the US dollar which means you will have more disposable income to afford these price increases. Alas, they will never learn.

We had our own industrial revolution. We did well. The offshoring of American jobs began with Reagan and continued with other presidents after that, including some Democratic ones. We have the chance to be a post-industrial nation, based in services, information and research. We were well one the path to that until the moron-in-chief with his erratic moves and fantasies of an industrial America began to pull his moves. China would love to move past being just the factory floor of the world. Trump has chopped basic research and investment here. Scientists and professionals are already leaving. We don't need to be a sweatshop nation again, the way we used to be.

 

[MrRom92]

Too late, Timmy already decided to raise all the prices anyway. No takebacksies

 

[erinsarah]

We will see how long this lasts.

It last for as long as it takes for the Techogarchs to re-buy their stocks Monday morning at a discount

 

[MichaelAdam]

Mr President … Think before you act maybe … There is a lot of sense in many of your actions but the world won’t change in a few months … your action on tariffs has the benefit to open a négociation and make many people poorer and some richer thanks to the stock market rollercoaster and the hints you gave on X / Truth …

 

[Ramchi]

Nice insider trading by Apple and the government in stashing the stocks at a 30% - 50% discount! Apple seems to be more dangerous than the US Government! Long live democrazy!

 

[dandyryan]

that $1million inauguration bribe working overtime, cook playing the long game