Apple criticized again

White House trade adviser publicly criticized Apple for its dependence on manufacturing in China, delaying the move of factories to the US.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and US President Donald Trump at the White House in 2017. Photo: Reuters .

In an interview on CNBC 's Squawk on the Street on July 7, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro criticized CEO Tim Cook for Apple's global manufacturing strategy, as the company relies on manufacturing operations in China.

On television, Navarro said that Apple was years behind in moving iPhone production to other countries. Cook faces a major challenge in pleasing the administration of US President Donald Trump.

“Back in Trump’s first term, Tim Cook kept asking for extensions to move factories out of China. It was the longest-running soap opera in Silicon Valley.

“My problem with Tim Cook is that he never gives us a clear process for delivering on those promises,” Navarro said.

The White House representative emphasized that the speed at which Apple is moving its iPhone production line out of China is not fast enough.

“With today’s advanced manufacturing techniques and everything AI-powered, it’s hard to imagine that Tim Cook can’t manufacture iPhones elsewhere in the world , including this country (the US),” he added.

The interview came shortly after Trump’s 90-day tariff deferral expired. On July 7, the US president announced new tariffs on several countries, including Japan and South Korea. In line with the general trend, Apple shares fell 1.69% at the close of trading on the same day.

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro (right). Photo: @CNBCtelevision/YouTube .

Mr. Trump has frequently called on Apple to move iPhone production back to the United States. Apple’s smartphones have traditionally been made primarily in China. The company has recently increased production in India, in part to avoid higher tariffs.

In May, the US president warned that Apple would face tariffs of 25% or higher if it imported iPhones from abroad to the US. In a speech, Mr. Trump emphasized his words to Cook that he “does not want Apple to build a factory in India.”

Analysts and supply chain experts say Apple cannot completely move iPhone production to the US due to logistical, economic and labor barriers.

Apple currently imports thousands of parts from more than 40 countries to assemble its products. According to some estimates, the selling price of an iPhone made in the US can be as high as $3,500 .

According to 9to5Mac , Apple currently manufactures very few products in the US. During Mr. Trump’s first term, the company pledged to assemble its $3,000 Mac Pro computer in Texas. In February, the company announced plans to invest $500 billion in the US, including several AI server assembly facilities.

Source: https://znews.vn/apple-lai-bi-chi-trich-post1566922.html