Apple Flew 5 Planes Full of iphones to US

With the full breadth of Trump’s tariffs slated to kick in on Wednesday, Apple is racing to brace for impact. A new report from The Times of India today says that part of Apple’s strategy to limit the impact of these tariffs is to stockpile as much inventory as possible in the United States…

According to senior Indian officials cited in the report, Apple flew five planes full of iPhones and other products from India and China “in just three days during the final week of March.”

It was done on short notice, as it was an urgent shipment to mitigate the impact. Not only that, the source also said Apple is rapidly moving inventories from manufacturing centres in India and China to the US, though it's now a slow shipping season. With this, it was reported that the warehouses of Apple are stocked for several months ahead in anticipation of the tariffs.

To reduce the impact of Trump's tariffs, The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple may source more iPhones from India. India is facing a 26% tariff, compared to China's recent over 100% tariff slapped by Trump, so it makes sense to do so. Currently, the factories in India are manufacturing iPhones and AirPods.

To cushion the impact, Apple fast-tracked shipments from its manufacturing hubs in India and China — an unusual step during a typically quiet shipping season.

“Factories had been stockpiling inventory in anticipation of the higher tariffs,”

Apple is not alone in its rush to beat the tariff deadline—Nintendo also reportedly made massive early shipments of the Switch 2 to avoid added costs.

Apple has yet to comment publicly, but the company’s Q2 earnings call on May 1 may reveal more about the long-term impact of the tariffs and how Apple plans to navigate rising trade tensions.