US President Donald Trump has revealed the possibility of a tariff exemption on Apple products made in China. After the US-China tariff war began, Apple seems to have responded to an ongoing effort to request a tariff exemption.
President Trump visited an Apple manufacturing plant in Austin, Texas, Tuesday. He toured the facility to assemble the Mac Pro with Tim Cook's CEO. The Mac Pro is the most expensive computer model Apple currently sells.
According to a major foreign press, such as the Wall Street Journal, he saw the phrase "Assembled in USA" on the Mac Pro assembled at the factory and said, "This is what we want." It is said to be highly appreciated.
Apple Austin Mac Pro Assembly Plant
Trump later mentioned tariffs on Apple products made in China and talked about the competition between Samsung and Apple. "Samsung is a great company, but Apple's competitor," he said. "We should treat Apple similarly to Samsung." Foreign media, including Reuters, said Trump expressed concern about Apple's loss of competitiveness in tariffs.
The United States plans to impose an additional 15% tariff on Chinese imports of $ 156 billion, including smartphones, on December 15. This will affect Apple's flagship iPhones and iPads, as well as AirPods and Apple Watch, which were previously charged 10% tariffs.
Apple has been asking for exemption from tariffs on Chinese parts since the beginning of the US-China trade war. Cook met with President Trump in August and expressed concern about tariffs on Chinese Apple products, citing competition from Samsung. However, tariffs were imposed on US primary Chinese products in September.
Since then, the company has steadily expanded its efforts to exempt the Trump administration. Recently, the president's closest employee was hired as a lobbyist. Trump administration officials, including Jeffrey Miller, are reportedly included.
Apple also showed gestures for the Trump administration. In time for President Trump's visit, he announced the opening of a new office in Austin, Texas. It will be completed in 2022, with a total production capacity of $ 1 billion, and will start with 5,000 employees and expand to 15,000 in the future.
Apple Austin Office Building Aerial View
"Austin is a very important place for Apple's future," Cook said. "We look forward to making more investment."
Meanwhile, President Trump is said to have mentioned a trade deal with China after a tour of the Apple factory. "I don't think China is coming as much as I want," he said.
On the other hand, China's deputy prime minister, Liu He, said on the 21st that he was cautiously optimistic about reaching the first stage of negotiations. China-China trade talks are known to require China to withdraw existing tariffs, while the United States demands more protection of intellectual property rights and prevents forced technology transfer.