WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump announced that Apple will invest an additional US$100 billion in the United States, potentially helping the tech giant avoid new tariffs on iPhones and other products.
The new commitment brings Apple’s total planned U.S. investment to $600 billion over the next four years. Earlier this year, the company had pledged $500 billion and the creation of 20,000 new jobs.
Trump said the latest move reflects his push to bring global companies “back home.” “Companies like Apple, they’re coming home. They’re all coming home,” he told reporters, shortly after Apple CEO Tim Cook presented him with a U.S.-made souvenir.
“This is a significant step toward the ultimate goal of ensuring that iPhones sold in America also are made in America,” Trump added.
Cook said many iPhone components, such as semiconductors, Face ID modules, and glass, are already made domestically, but acknowledged that full assembly “will remain overseas for a while.”
Though sizable, Apple’s new pledge mirrors its past spending patterns and echoes commitments made during both the Biden administration and Trump’s first term.
In May, Trump threatened Apple with a 25 percent tariff on overseas-made products, reversing earlier exemptions on electronics. The trade war with China has already cost Apple $800 million in the June quarter alone.
“Today is a good step in the right direction for Apple, and it helps get on Trump’s good side after what appears to be a tension-filled few months,” said Daniel Ives, analyst at Wedbush Securities.
Apple’s follow-through on past promises has faced scrutiny. A Texas plant Cook toured with Trump in 2019 had been producing computers since 2013 and has since shifted production to Thailand.
Despite political pressure, analysts say assembling iPhones in the U.S. remains impractical due to high labor costs and complex global supply chains. “The announcement is a savvy solution to the president’s demand,” said Nancy Tengler, CEO of Laffer Tengler Investments.
Partners in Apple’s new U.S. investment push include Corning, Applied Materials, Texas Instruments, GlobalFoundries, Broadcom, and Samsung. Apple said Samsung will supply chips from its Texas plant, while GlobalWafers will also provide silicon wafers from Texas.
Apple shares closed up five percent on August 6. Corning gained nearly four percent in extended trading, and Applied Materials rose almost two percent.