Apple announced on Wednesday that it will invest an additional $100 billion to expand its operations in the United States, just as President Donald Trump revealed plans to impose steep import tariffs on semiconductors entering the country.
The move builds on Apple’s previous commitment of $500 billion earlier this year to boost its domestic presence, as the company navigates mounting costs tied to Trump’s trade policies. The new investment will deepen Apple’s ties with American suppliers, aligning with the administration’s push to bring tech manufacturing back to U.S. soil.
At an Oval Office event celebrating the announcement, President Trump reiterated his tariff strategy by threatening 100% levies on chips manufactured overseas. However, he offered an exemption for companies actively investing in the U.S.
“But the good news for companies like Apple is, if you’re building in the United States, or have committed to build, without question, committed to build in the United States, there will be no charge,” Trump said.
Apple CEO Tim Cook responded with gratitude in a press release, reflecting on the company’s growing U.S. footprint.
“President Trump shared some kind words about that work,” Cook said, referring to Apple’s earlier investment. “But he also asked us to think about what more we could commit to doing, and Mr. President we took that challenge very seriously.”
Despite the expanded investment, Cook acknowledged that assembling an iPhone entirely within the United States remains a long-term goal. For now, Apple is prioritizing the domestic production of key components, a strategy Trump appears to support.
“Look, he’s not making this kind of an investment anywhere in the world, not even close,” Trump remarked. “He’s coming back. I mean, Apple is coming back to America.”
A Nationwide Manufacturing Push
Apple’s $100 billion initiative will fund the creation of an American Manufacturing Program aimed at localizing more of the company’s supply chain. Initial partners include Corning, Coherent, GlobalWafers America, Applied Materials, Texas Instruments, Samsung, and Broadcom.
Apple said it plans to produce more than 19 billion chips for its products in 2025, with manufacturing taking place at 24 facilities across 12 states.
“I’m proud to say that Apple is leading the creation of an end to end silicon supply chain right here in America, from design to equipment to wafer production to fabrication to packaging,” Cook said during the White House event.
The company is also expanding its collaboration with glassmaker Corning to ensure that “every iPhone and Apple Watch sold around the world” uses cover glass produced in Kentucky. Cook presented President Trump with a sample of the Kentucky-made glass during the event.
Additionally, Apple is strengthening its partnership with Coherent, which supplies lasers for the iPhone’s Face ID feature.
A Political and Economic Balancing Act
The Trump administration has long pressured tech giants like Apple to shift production to the U.S., away from hubs in China, India, and Vietnam.
“As you know, Apple has been an investor in other countries a little bit, I won’t say which ones, but a couple,” Trump said at the event, alluding to Apple’s global operations.
While Trump framed Apple’s announcement as progress toward full iPhone assembly in the U.S., industry experts remain skeptical. They point to the lack of a skilled domestic workforce, higher labor costs, and complex supply chains heavily reliant on Asia.
Cook confirmed that iPhone assembly would continue abroad for the foreseeable future, though more components will now be produced in the U.S.
“Well, if you look at the bulk of it, we’re doing a lot of the semiconductors here, we’re doing the glass here, we’re doing the Face ID module here, and so there’s a ton of it, and we’re doing these for products sold elsewhere in the world,” Cook said. “And so there’s a lot of content in there from United States.”
Previously, Trump had threatened Apple and Samsung, two of the world’s biggest smartphone makers, with further tariffs if they failed to bring manufacturing stateside. On Wednesday, he acknowledged the difficulties involved.
“We’ve been talking about it, and the whole thing is set up at other places, and it’s been there for a long time,” he said.
According to a White House official, Cook has privately lobbied the president in recent months about the harmful impact tariffs are having on Apple. During Apple’s latest earnings call, Cook noted the company expects to incur $1.1 billion in tariff-related expenses during the September quarter alone.
The timing of Apple’s announcement coincides with Trump’s decision to increase tariffs on India, where most iPhones sold in the U.S. are assembled. The president also expressed frustration in May over Apple’s operations in India.
Despite these tensions, smartphones remain exempt from Trump’s retaliatory tariffs, including the new 25% duties on Indian goods, a significant reprieve for Apple.
As part of its broader investment plan, Apple is also launching a manufacturing academy in Detroit and will begin sourcing rare earth minerals from U.S.-based supplier MP Materials. These minerals are critical to producing smartphones, TVs, and other consumer electronics.
Apple’s latest move comes as the company confronts a series of challenges in 2025. Alongside the tariff battles, Apple has delayed a high-profile update to Siri as it races to keep pace with artificial intelligence leaders like OpenAI and Google.
Still, analysts remain optimistic about Apple’s ability to adapt, crediting Cook’s strategic foresight and close ties to the White House.
“Tim Cook is known to be the supply chain genius of technology,” said Ted Mortonson, tech sector strategist at Baird. “And I think his whole supply chain team is well aware… before it happens, what the Trump administration is thinking and not thinking.”
Apple’s announcement follows a broader trend among tech firms investing in American infrastructure.
In June, Texas Instruments pledged $60 billion toward U.S. chip manufacturing. TSMC committed $100 billion in March, while Nvidia revealed plans to build its AI supercomputers in the U.S. this past April.
