Apple trying to beat Trump’s tariffs? iPhones worth $2 billion airlifted from India ahead of US import duties

Nearly $2 billion worth of iPhones were shipped to the United States from Apple's main India suppliers, Foxconn and Tata, in March to bypass President Donald Trump's impending tariffs, customs data shows.

A Reuters report highlighted that the smartphone maker stepped up production and chartered cargo flights to ferry 600 tons of iPhones to the United States to ensure sufficient inventory as Trump’s tariffs threaten to push up costs.

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The US imposed 26 per cent levies on imports from India this month. Although Trump has paused most duties for several nations, he has imposed over 100 per cent tariffs on China.

Reportedly, Foxconn exported smartphones worth $1.31 billion in March, its highest ever for a single month and equal to devices shipped in January and February combined, according to commercially available customs data, reported Reuters.

The shipment included Apple iPhone 13, 14, 16 and 16e models, making the company’s total shipments from India to the US this year $5.3 billion.

In March, exports from Tata Electronics stood at $612 million, about 63 per cent higher than in February. It included iPhone 15 and 16 models.

According to the customs data, all Foxconn shipments in March were sent by air from the Chennai Air Cargo terminal. They landed at various locations in the US, including Los Angeles and New York, with Chicago receiving the majority.

After imposing sweeping tariffs on China, Trump granted exclusions on smartphones and some other electronics imports. However, he said that those exemptions will not last long.

To speed up the shipments from India, Apple lobbied airport authorities at Tamil Nadu’s Chennai airport to cut the time needed to clear customs to six hours from 30 hours.

The shipments were sent using at least six cargo jets to “beat the tariffs” imposed by Trump, the report said, citing sources.