Do we see a real US smartphone production hub? An analysis from a technologist with 10 years experience in smartphone manufacturing and mobile applications
is a reviewer with 10 years of experience writing about consumer tech. She has an interest in photography and telecom. Previously, she worked at DPReview.
If the objective is to get Apple to start making phones in the US, that won’t happen anytime soon. The company would face some massive challenges doing so.
“I don’t think we see a real path to a meaningful US smartphone industry production hub,” says Schneemann. Apple does manufacturing in the United States, but it is limited to small scale production. The iPhone and its network of specialized component suppliers are a different beast. The costs for supply chains and manufacturing facilities in the US would be more expensive than the effects of the tariffs, even if Apple did choose to make the iPhone there. A new president could change the tariffs in four years if they chose to do so.
There is still lots of uncertainty around these tariffs, including whether they will get pushed back yet again. Like I said, it’s complicated.
Stellantis is considering reducing prices in the U.S. in response to Trump’s tariffs: how car companies are responding to the Trump-Puzzle
The company is considering increasing production in the U.S., including bringing new models to its factory in Ridgeville, South Carolina, the CEO said. The plants built the Polestar 3 and the EX90 SUVs in order to take advantage of the federal EV tax credit.
VW’s import fees will be added to the price of imported cars sold in the US. The exact amount will be determined later this month. It was the clearest example yet of Trump’s tariffs leading to higher costs for consumers.
The biggest automaker in the world is keeping its cards close to its vest for now. Japanese media reports confirm that Toyota has no plans to raise prices at this time. Rick Bourgoise refused to comment further.
The company that is dealing with its own problems did not react to the news of the tariffs. As a result of selling vehicles only to American customers, Musk believes the company is better insulated from the fees that will be charged in the future.
“We understand that the current environment creates uncertainty,” Antonio Filosa, chief operating officer for the Americas at Stellantis, said in an email to employees. “Be assured that we are very engaged with all of our key stakeholders, including top government leaders, unions, suppliers and dealers in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, as we work to manage and adapt to these changes.”
It will be pausing production from April 7th to April 14th and restarting operations the next day, April 21st. It will be pausing production in Mexico for the month of April. The Indiana Transmission Plant is among the plants where layoffs will affect workers.
The parent company of Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Maserati, and others has good news and bad news to share in response to the tariffs. The bad news is that it isn’t following Ford’s idea of employee price discounts to the public. The good news is that it is suspending production at several factories and temporarily laying off 900 workers.
Since tariffs are likely to put renewed pressure on it’s prices, it is unlikely to be the cheapest sports car on the block. The Wall Street Journal reported that the executives of the company said last month that they would pass on the cost of tariffs to their customers.
Source: Price hikes, idled factories, layoffs: how car companies are responding to Trump’s tariffs
The impact of the US-tariff lines on Nissan and Infiniti production in the U.S. automotive industry: how Japanese automakers are responding to the announcement
Lloryn Love-Carter says that they’re reviewing their production and supply chain operations to find optimal solutions. “Our objective is to implement the most effective industrial strategy to offer Nissan and Infiniti customers great product and strong value.”
Nissan initially stated that it would cut a shift at the Tennessee plant when the tariffs took effect. The company changed their mind after seeing the tariffs and decided to keep two shifts at the factory.
The luxury automaker is reportedly considering pulling its least expensive models, like its entry-level GLA, from the US market, Bloomberg said. Although no decisions have been made yet,Mercedes-Benz is currently assessing the impact of the US-tariff lines.
I am appalled. It will kill Jaguar Land Rover here in the town,” one resident told The Guardian. “There could potentially be job losses because JLR export enormously to America. The knock-on effect is going to be enormous.”
The UK-based media was told by the company that its local business remains resilient. But residents of the town where Jaguar operates its factory were dour about the news.
James Bell said in an email thatHyundai Motor remains committed to long-term growth of the U.S. automotive industry through local production and innovation.
President Donald Trump has been described as a debacle of epic proportions by critics because of his 25% tariffs on all auto-related imports. Analysts have been predicting everything from $12,000 per vehicle price hikes to the possible “Cubanization” of the US car fleet.
Honda dealers reassure their customers that most of their most popular vehicles are made in the US And spokesperson Chris Martin referred to the Autos Drive America trade group, which asserts that it is “impossible to rebuild those supply chains in a matter of weeks, especially with the added financial burden of tariffs.”
The Japanese automaker may not be merging with Nissan, but its already making moves to adjust to the tariffs. The company is planning on producing its next-generation Civic hybrid in Indiana instead of Mexico to avoid import duties, Reuters reported last month.
General GM told employees at its assembly plant that they would increase production of light-duty trucks and add some temporary workers to backfill during summer vacation. The company is also considering shifting some of its truck production from Mexico to the US. Adding additional temporary people to support the plant is what GM is doing.
Ford has a 74 day supply of vehicles at the end of March compared to 50 days for GM and the discount could help it clear out some of its inventory.
“We understand that these are uncertain times for many Americans,” Ford says on its website. Whether you need a reliable vehicle for your family or are navigating the complexities of a changing economy, we want to help.
The promo runs April 3rd through June 2nd and offers “significant savings” on a number of 2024 and 2025 gas, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and diesel Ford and Lincoln vehicles, according to the company. EV customers will get a discount on top of the Ford Power Promise deal, which lasts through June 30th. Excluded from the limited-time offer are Ford Raptor models, 2025 Expedition and Navigator SUVs, and Super Duty trucks.
Ford was first out of the gate with a response geared toward people panic shopping, hoping to capitalize on pre-tariff sticker prices. The automaker launched a new program called “From America, For America” that offers employee pricing to everyone.
BMW said last month that it expected a 1billion hit to its earnings as a result of tariffs, but the company has yet to make a response.
The cars are being held at US ports until further notice because of the tariffs, according to automotive news. Audi currently has 37,000 units in dealer stock and at port — which remain unaffected by the new import fees and are ready to sell. Audi reportedly said it would be marking unaffected units with a $0 “No Added Import Fee” option code for easy tracking.
Source: Price hikes, idled factories, layoffs: how car companies are responding to Trump’s tariffs
The Impact of Import Duty on the American Economy: Experts on Trade Warfare and Implications for the Future of the United States
is an editor with 10 years of experience who covers transportation. His work was published in both the New York Daily News and City & State.
The central, persistent thing Trump seems to misunderstand about tariffs is that they are paid in the US by people in the US. A person might remember that he tried them a few years ago, in a trade war, to negative effect. We have, as a nation, shot ourselves in the dick. Don’t take my word for it! Here are some actual experts:
The Treasury Secretary doesn’t seem to know the answers to basic questions about tariffs like why Canada and Mexico are missing from the chart. Bessent said he wasn’t part of the negotiations with China, which is weird. Who is in charge of tariffs if the treasury secretary is out of the loop?
This is like watching a trainwreck in slow motion. Previously, the Trump administration weakened the dollar by announcing its crypto reserve. Musk decided to tank our ability to work as the world’s R&D hub and also to ax American soft power in the process in order to attract global talent and boost our economy. Congress has abdicated its control of spending. The tariffs further endanger American safety and wealth. When we get the explosion, and how large it will be, are the real questions.
The tariffs of any kind are disruptive. Since companies know they will be paying extra on items they import, they will pass the increase on to consumers, especially the poorest ones. They are likely to look for ways to cut costs and are unlikely to splash out on investments, says Meissner. Consumers are likely to do the same thing — cutting back on spending and holding onto necessities for longer than they would have otherwise, at least in part because they know there’s higher likelihood they’ll be fired if companies trim costs.
Wolfers says the increases are different from the rise in inflation that happened after COVID. Increased prices mean more money for companies, which can be used to pay their employees more. This money will be going to the Trump Administration because of the tariffs. Everything will cost more but wages will likely remain the same.
Before the tariffs were implemented, we need to talk about how the economy was doing. The latest tariffs announcement had no impact on consumer confidence. The actions of the DOGE already shook consumers, including firing and unfiring people, slashing social services, and freezing previously-agreed-on grants. In March, consumers’ expectations for the future were the lowest they’d been in more than a decade. The kind of thing that leads to spending cuts is the people being nervous about their employment.
The reason for these tariffs is to drive trade deficits to zero, but that makes no sense. A trade deficit essentially means that the US is receiving many goods and services from a country in exchange for pieces of paper, and they are receiving fewer goods and services (and thus giving us less paper), Wolfers says. Who cares? Economics is not a zero sum game. Many of our beautiful and brilliant Verge subscribers are in a trade deficit with The Verge, as they pay us $7 a month for our fine text products, and we buy zero dollars’ worth of things from them.
Trump’s supposed ultimate goal is to bring manufacturing back to the US, but this isn’t going to happen either. That requires a less uncertain environment so companies will invest in building here, for one thing. It requires a workforce and it’s not clear how Americans would choose to work in manufacturing jobs if they had other options.
Source: We just declared a trade war with the world
What do all the taxes in the world tell us about the election of Donald Trump and the outcome of a global tariff hike? The Case for Trump, Mexico, and Colombia
Those deals are “a way of making people beholden to you,” says Barrett. I am torn on whether this is well-thought out or whether the uncertainty is part of the design.
What can one do to get an exemption? Canada, Mexico, andColombia all have examples of making silly concessions that let Trump say victory while changing nothing. After all, Trump is addled by television to a degree that as long as something sounds good on Fox News, it’s a win for him.
The sets of globally applied tariffs that were announced earlier this week make no sense. No sane economist would endorse this. The administration decided to impose a series of taxes that encourage blatant corruption and fail to encourage American manufacturing growth because of a combination of stupidity, incompetence and sheer mobsters. It’s assuming that the taxes come into play.
