Tim Cook und Trump im Weißen Haus: Apple kündigt milliardenschwere US-Investitionen an

Tech-Gigant Apple macht ernst: CEO Tim Cook traf sich heute mit Ex-Präsident Donald Trump im Oval Office, um eine neue Investitionsoffensive in den USA zu verkünden.

Was steckt dahinter?

Laut Insidern plant Apple die Ansiedlung neuer Produktionsstätten in Bundesstaaten mit steuerlichen... Vorteilen. Arbeitsplätze sollen entstehen - doch wie viele genau, bleibt vage wie ein Politiker-Versprechen.

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Trump raises tariffs while Apple tries to hold ground

White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers tied the new investment directly to Trump’s economic goals, saying:

“Today’s announcement with Apple is another win for our manufacturing industry that will simultaneously help reshore the production of critical components to protect America’s economic and national security.”

Apple’s stock rose 6% on Wednesday after the pledge, which is its biggest intraday gain since February. Meanwhile, TRUMP also signed an executive order adding another 25% tariff on goods from India in response to its Russian oil purchases, in addition to a separate 25% duty already scheduled to hit the next day.

Apple’s major reliance on India for iPhone assembly makes it a direct target. Trump has repeatedly pushed Apple to MOVE full iPhone manufacturing to U.S. factories. Earlier this year, after a meeting with Cook, Trump threatened a 25% tariff if the company didn’t act.

While officials have floated ideas like robotics for U.S. assembly, Cook has focused more on securing tariff exemptions. He did this successfully during Trump’s first term and has been working to do it again.

Last week, during a call with analysts, Cook admitted that “the vast majority” of iPhones sold in the U.S. are still made in India. He added that other products such as MacBooks, iPads, and Apple Watches come from Vietnam.

“We obviously try to optimize our supply chain,” Cook said. “And ultimately, we will do more in the United States.”

Cook also said Apple took an $800 million hit from tariffs in the last quarter and expects that number to rise to $1.1 billion by the end of September unless there are changes in trade policy. That pressure is only increasing.

Trump is now preparing to target all products with semiconductor chips with new levies, which could drop as soon as next week. He’s also expanding country-specific tariffs that will hit dozens of trade partners on Thursday.

Trump’s track record with Apple shows a pattern. During his first term, Cook managed to get several of Apple’s products exempted from import duties. If he can pull that off again, it could help Apple avoid price hikes that WOULD squeeze its margins, or worse, give competitors like Samsung a pricing advantage.

The initial $500 billion commitment Apple made in February included a promise to add 20,000 jobs, but the numbers weren’t much beyond its previously announced plans. That pledge only added $39 billion and around 1,000 jobs per year. The extra $100 billion is meant to reinforce its U.S. ties ahead of a broader trade crackdown.

The Apple news fits into a string of public investment rollouts from the Trump administration. Earlier this year, Trump hosted a joint announcement with Oracle, SoftBank, and OpenAI, revealing a $100 billion investment in AI data centers with plans to hit $500 billion.

Separately, Trump said Nvidia plans to manufacture up to $500 billion in AI infrastructure inside the U.S. through new partnerships. The White House has also linked trade deals directly to investment promises.

In an agreement with the European Union, Trump secured $750 billion in American energy exports and $600 billion in U.S. investments. A similar deal with Japan led to a $550 billion investment fund targeting American projects.

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