Home > Business > Industry

Trump threatens to impose 25% tariffs on Apple, Samsung phones

Published: 24 May. 2025, 09:27

A customer tries out a Samsung Electronics Galaxy S25 Edge at Samsung Gangnam in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on May 23. [NEWS]

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Friday to roll out 25 percent tariffs by the end of next month on smartphones made by Apple, Samsung Electronics and other companies if they are not manufactured in the United States.

Trump issued the threat hours after he warned in a social media post that if iPhones are not made in the United States, a "tariff of at least 25 percent must be paid by Apple to the U.S."

"It would be more. It would be also Samsung and anybody that makes that product. Otherwise, it wouldn't be fair," Trump said during a press availability after signing executive orders at the White House.

"That will start on, I guess, the end of June. It'll come out. I think we have that appropriately done by the end of June," he added.

The president was responding to a reporter's question about why he would hurt Apple, an U.S. company, with tariffs.

He reiterated that companies manufacturing their product in the United States would not face tariffs.

He also noted Apple's move to shift production to India.

"I said that's okay to go to India, but you are not going to sell [them] here without tariffs," he said. "That's the way it is."

Trump's threat of new levies on imported smartphones added to concerns in Korea over his administration's series of new import taxes, which could impact bilateral economic and trade relations.

Korea and the United States have been engaged in talks over tariffs and other trade issues as Seoul has been striving to minimize the impact of the Trump administration's reciprocal and other sectoral tariffs on Asia's fourth-largest economy.

In a separate social media post earlier, Trump expressed discomfort over trade talks with the European Union, saying they are "going nowhere," while noting his recommendation that a "straight 50 percent tariff" be imposed on the bloc starting on June 1.

Commenting on the post, Trump reiterated his accusation that the EU was formed to "take advantage of" the United States.

"It's time that we play the game the way I know how to play the game," he said. "They've taken advantage of other people representing this country, and they are not going to do that any longer."

Asked if he is looking for a deal with the EU, Trump said that "we've set the deal."

"It's at 50 percent, but again, there is no tariff if they build their plant here."

Yonhap