Trump again asks Apple to start manufacturing in US
Washington, Sep 9 : After Apple hinted at increasing the price of its products owing to tariffs on China, US President Donald Trump has once again asked the iPhone maker to shift manufacturing from Beijing to Washington.
Apple has written a letter to the Trump administration, saying the proposed $200 billion tariffs on China-made products will make the Apple Watch, AirPods headphones, HomePod smart speaker, Macs and key computer parts more expensive.
"Apple prices may increase because of the massive Tariffs we may be imposing on China - but there is an easy solution where there would be ZERO tax, and indeed a tax incentive," Trump tweeted on Saturday.
"Make your products in the United States instead of China. Start building new plants now. Exciting! MAGA." In January 2017, Trump said he spoke to Apple CEO Tim Cook over the phone and he promised to build "three big plants" in the US.
But Cook never directly responded to that claim.
What Apple actually announced in January was to contribute $350 billion to the US economy over the next five years that includes an estimated $55 billion investment in 2018.
In a letter written to the US Trade Representative on Friday, Apple said some of its popular products will get hit by the 25 per cent increase in import tax as proposed by the Trump administration on Chinese products.
Other products are Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, Apple Pencil, Apple adapters, chargers, cables and cords, Apple main logic boards with microprocessing units, memory modules, video graphic/audio cards and PCBAs, Apple computer parts (e.g., housings and internal components) and printed circuit boards, among others
"Because all tariffs ultimately show up as a tax on US consumers, they will increase the cost of Apple products that our customers have come to rely on in their daily lives," Apple wrote in the letter.
According to a report in The Verge, Apple asked that the US revise its proposal and decline to place tariffs on the product categories that cover these devices.
The company's hardware products have taken it to become a $1 trillion company but those products are built in China which also creates thousands of jobs.
Apple is set to unveil new iPhones and other services on September 12.
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Bombay HC issues notice to Maharashtra govt, MLA Murji Patel on Kunal Kamra’s plea to quash FIRs
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the Maharashtra government and Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) MLA Murji Patel in response to a petition filed by comedian Kunal Kamra seeking the quashing of multiple FIRs lodged against him over political remarks made during his stand-up show.
A division bench of Justices Sarang Kotwal and SM Modak scheduled the matter for hearing on April 16. “Issue notice to the respondents (police and Patel). They shall take instructions and respond to the plea,” the bench observed.
The first FIR was filed by Murji Patel on March 24 at Khar police station, based on Kamra’s performance of his show ‘Naya Bharat’ at Habitat Studio, Unicontinental Hotel, Khar. Kamra allegedly made comments targeting prominent political figures, industrialists, and central agencies.
Representing Kamra, senior advocate Navroz Seervai informed the court that the Madras High Court had extended the interim transit anticipatory bail granted to the comedian until April 17. Seervai added that Kamra, who has been residing in Tamil Nadu since 2021, had offered thrice in writing to appear before police via video conference due to threats to his safety. However, police insisted on his physical presence.
“This is not a case of murder. It is an FIR stemming from a stand-up comedy show,” Seervai said. “He is ready to cooperate with the investigation but seeks to do so through video conferencing.”
In his petition, Kamra contended that the FIRs violate his constitutional rights, including freedom of speech and expression, and that continuation of the case amounts to criminalising political commentary. He maintained that his comments about the 2022 political developments in Maharashtra, including the Shiv Sena split and Eknath Shinde's appointment as Chief Minister, are matters of public record.
Kamra stated that the script for ‘Naya Bharat’ was written in July 2024 and performed around 60 times between August 2024 and February 2025. A recording was uploaded online in March 2025, after which multiple FIRs were registered.
A zero FIR was initially filed at MIDC police station before being transferred to Khar. Three additional FIRs were lodged on March 28 under similar charges, with further cases registered in Thane and Dombivli.
Following backlash, an online ticketing platform delisted Kamra and removed all associated content on April 5.
The court will hear the case in full on April 16.
