• Source:JND
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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 American company airlifted devices to bypass US 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 US 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 exported smartphones worth $1.31 billion in March

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 news agency 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 per cent higher than the previous month, and included iPhone 15 and 16 models.

Trump later granted exclusions from steep tariffs

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 would 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".

Why is it a big deal for India?

iPhone production in India has seen a staggering 60% increase from its Indian supply chain posting a turnover of approximately Rs 1.89 lakh crore during the financial year which ended on March 31, 2025, as per industry data.

Out of the total output that was produced, Apple exported iPhones worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore from India during 2024-2025, stated the Minister for Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Ashwini Vaishnav. Additionally, there is increasing friction between the US and China due to a tariff war breaking out between the two, because of which Apple's production in India is expected to grow even more.

Apple also has an advantage in scaling its production base in India, as duties levied on India-made smartphones are much lower than its Chinese counterpart.

Smartphone exports from India went past a startling Rs 1.75 crore ($21 billion) in 11 months of 2024-2025 (April-February), which marks a 54 per cent increase over last year's (2023-2024) corresponding figures for the same period, as per India Cellular and Electronics Association.

Around 70 per cent of the exports came from Apple’s iPhone supply chain, with Foxconn’s Tamil Nadu facility alone contributing nearly 50 per cent of the total overseas shipments. Exports from the Foxconn plant saw a rise of over 40 per cent compared to the same period in the previous financial year.

(With inputs from agency)

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