Apple won’t be exempt from any new tariffs, US President Donald Trumpt tweeted today.
“Apple will not be given Tariff wavers, or relief, for Mac Pro parts that are made in China,” reads a tweet from the US President Donald Trump. “Make them in the USA, no tariffs.”
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1154755462925099008
The news arrives hot on the heels of a recent Bloomberg report claiming hApple asked the US government to exclude the new Mac Pro parts and select accessories, such as its Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad, from a 25 percent tariff on Chinese imports.
While some Apple products have been spared from tariffs in the past, including Apple Watch and AirPods, the new Mac Pro won’t be that lucky. The $6,000 Mac machine Pro will be assembled in China by Apple’s contract manufacturer Quanta Computers, The Wall Street Journal said recently.
The previous model was manufactured and assembled in Austin, Texas but the various challenges associated with running manufacturing operations efficiently and cost-effectively in the United States prompted the Mac maker to shift production of the new model to China. Apple on its part said that final assembly is only one part of the manufacturing process, underscoring that the new computer uses US-made components.
For those who have been sleeping under a rock lately, the Trump administration threatened an additional $300 billion in tariffs on Chinese imports. According to Trump’s tweet today, Apple won’t be exempt from any new tariffs. In other words, Apple will find itself in an unpleasant position should the US double down on its trade war against China.