U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said his administration would not grant Apple tariff relief on Chinese-made parts for its Mac Pro computer.
David Shepardson and Susan Heavey for Reuters:
“Apple will not be given Tariff waiver, or relief, for Mac Pro parts that are made in China. Make them in the USA, no Tariffs!” Trump tweeted.
Apple will not be given Tariff waiver, or relief, for Mac Pro parts that are made in China. Make them in the USA, no Tariffs!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2019
Representatives for Apple had no immediate comment. Shares of the company sharply pared their gains after Trump’s tweets.
On July 18, Apple asked the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office to waive 25% tariffs on 15 parts, including ones for Mac Pro desktop computer.
The Wall Street Journal reported in June that Apple is shifting manufacturing of its new Mac Pro desktop computer to China from Texas… Apple said in its submissions to the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office that the products were a component of a consumer electronic device and “not strategically important or related to Chinese industrial programs, such as “Made in China 2020.”
MacDailyNews Take: Again, this was an obvious outcome. Solely from a PR standpoint, Apple clearly shouldn’t have even asked for such a waiver in the current political climate.
On the face of it, given only a cursory glance, it’s a bad PR look in the U.S. for flush-with-cash Apple to be moving production from Texas to China while asking for a ‘tax break.’ That’s how the average schmo on the street is going to see this. — MacDailyNews, July 23, 2019