US President Donald Trump on Thursday suggested that he had asked Apple’s boss Tim Cook not to build in India, Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal said that companies would consider competitive benefits while shaping their manufacturing strategies, and India had emerged as a strong and competitive hub for smartphone production.
He said, “Companies will see competitive benefits by deciding their manufacturing strategy. India has emerged as a competitive hub for smart phone construction,” he said.
He said, “We do not comment on what the President (of another country) says,” he said.
Recently, Apple took some steps to expand its iPhone production in India, establishing assembly plants working in the country. Two of these plants are located in Tamil Nadu, and one is in Karnataka. For these plants, Apple has signed contracts with manufacturers to install production units, such as Foxconn and Tata Group.
US President Donald Trump said that reacting to the reports, it was said that India had offered a trade deal with zero tariffs to the US, Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal said, “Any statements that are coming elsewhere from the head of a government, I think it has been appropriately given to the foreign minister’s level. So, I would not like to comment further.”
However, he said that talks with America on business talks were going on very well.
The Commerce Secretary said, “The talks are moving very well, and a team is ready to go to America to discuss further with them.”
Earlier, responding to the claims of President Trump on a zero-tariff deal with India, Em Jaishankar said that trade is going on between India and America. He said that these are complex dialogues and no final agreement has been reached yet.
After his comment, the US President claimed in Doha that India had signed a business deal with zero tariffs.
On 23 April, US President JD Vance said that India and the United States finalized the terms of the context for the ongoing dialogue to complete the bilateral trade agreement between the two countries.
“Both governments are working on a trade agreement built on shared priorities, including creating new jobs, building sustainable supply chains, and achieving prosperity for work” he said. (AI)
