White House advisor criticises Apple CEO Tim Cook for company’s ‘pace’ in moving iPhone production out of China: 'It’s the longest running soap opera in…’

White House trade advisor Peter Navarro has criticised Apple CEO

Tim Cook

, stating that the company is not shifting production out of China quickly enough despite pressure from the Trump administration. This follows recent demands from U.S. President Donald Trump for Apple to relocate iPhone production from overseas to the US. Apple's flagship iPhone is primarily manufactured in China, but the company has been increasing production in India, partly to mitigate the higher costs associated with the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. In May, Trump had warned that iPhones made outside the U.S. could face a tariff of 25% or more.

What White House advisor said about Apple moving iPhone production away from China

In an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street”, Navarro said: “Going back to the first Trump term, Tim Cook has continually asked for more time in order to move his factories out of China. I mean, it’s the longest-running soap opera in Silicon Valley. With all these new advanced manufacturing techniques and the way things are moving with AI and things like that, it’s inconceivable to me that Tim Cook could not produce his iPhones elsewhere around the world and in this country.”Recently, Trump also reportedly told Cook, "I don’t want you building in India."

Meanwhile, analysts and supply chain experts have suggested a complete relocation of iPhone production to the US. would be impractical, with some estimates indicating a US-made iPhone could cost up to $3,500.Currently, Apple manufactures only a limited number of its products in the US. During Trump’s first term, the company expanded its efforts to assemble the $3,000 Mac Pro in Texas.In February, Apple announced plans to invest $500 billion in the US, which includes assembling certain AI servers domestically.