Numbers show the impact of tariffs

The US has sharply reduced smartphone imports from China, as tech giants accelerate the shift of supply chains to India to avoid tariff risks.

The US reduces imports of smartphones assembled from China. Photo: Bloomberg .

In the second quarter of 2025, the number of smartphones imported into the US from China fell sharply, according to newly released data from Canalys (now part of Omdia). The share of Chinese-assembled smartphones sold in the US market fell from 61% to just 25% compared to the same period last year.

This is a direct result of the lingering concerns over tariff policies between the US and China. The lack of major progress in trade negotiations between the two countries has prompted manufacturers to shift their supply chains. Among them, India has emerged as a leading alternative destination, with the number of smartphones labeled “made in India” exported to the US increasing by 240% in the past year.

Currently, smartphones made in India account for 44% of total US imports, up sharply from 13% in the second quarter of 2024.

Apple is at the forefront of this shift. Amid escalating geopolitical risks, the company has dramatically expanded its manufacturing capacity in India and has begun assembling iPhone 16 Pro models in the country for the US market. However, the company still has to maintain some production capacity in China to meet high output for its premium product line.

Along with Apple, Samsung and Motorola have also begun to move some of their production lines from China to India, albeit on a limited scale. Motorola still relies heavily on its facilities in China, while Samsung maintains its main assembly operations in Vietnam.

In addition to geopolitical factors, many major manufacturers are also boosting imports in advance to cope with the risk of tariffs that may be applied later in the year. Apple and Samsung both increased their inventories sharply in the second quarter of 2025, leading to a 38% increase in Samsung's production output. However, the overall market only grew by 1%, indicating that consumer demand remains weak.

The decline in US smartphone imports from China is not only a result of trade tensions but also reflects a deep restructuring of the global supply chain, in which India is increasingly playing an alternative role in the assembly industry.

Source: https://znews.vn/my-giam-manh-nhap-khau-smartphone-tu-trung-quoc-post1572465.html