Donald Trump Offers Tim Cook Incentives To Manufacture iPhones, iPads And Macs In The US
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump is trying to get Apple to make its products in the United States instead of other countries.
Donald Trump told Apple CEO Tim Cook that he is going to “get” the company to start manufacturing its products in the United States, the president-elect told the New York Times on Tuesday.
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| Donald Trump - US Elected President |
Trump revealed that he had received a post-election phone call from Cook during which he said, “Tim, you know one of the things that will be a real achievement for me is when I get Apple to build a big plant in the United States, or many big plants in the United States.”
According to Trump’s account, Cook responded,
“I understand that,” and Trump went on to promise incentives through tax breaks and reduced regulations.
“I think we’ll create the incentives for you, and I think you’re going to do it,” Trump said he said.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation of Trump’s characterization of the call, nor did it respond to a request for comment on the content of Trump’s remarks.
Though Apple markets its high-end products as being “designed by Apple in California”, the electronics are assembled at factories in China from components produced primarily in China, Japan and Taiwan, according to the MIT Technology Review. The company says that its suppliers employ more than 1.6 million people.
Most of Apple's current manufacturing partners operate in countries such as China and Vietnam, but Trump wants to incentivize the company to build at least one plant in the United States and make its products locally.
In an interview with The New York Times, Trump said that both Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates and Apple CEO Tim Cook called him after winning the election. Trump explained to Cook that he would consider it a "real achievement" if he could convince Apple to make devices in the United States instead of other countries and Cook reportedly acknowledged the suggestion by saying that he understands.
Trump told the CEO that Apple could build a big plant in the Unites States, or several big plants, and make its devices right there, and that could be doable with the right incentives.
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| Tim-cook - CEO Of Apple |
Tim Cook supported Hillary Clinton in the U.S. presidential election, although Apple as a company supported both presidential nominees. Nevertheless, when Trump won the race, Cook sent a memo to Apple employees urging them to "move forward together" despite the uncertainties they may face in the future.
It remains to be seen whether moving forward will mean accepting Trump's proposition and start building manufacturing plants to move its device production to the United States, but the incentives Trump mentioned could do the trick.
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