The latest estimates by market research firm Omdia revealed that iPhone exports from India to the United States soared 76% year-on-year in April.
India Overtakes China In US iPhone Shipments
This is simply underscoring Apple’s accelerating pivot away from China amid shifting trade policies under President Donald Trump.
In a rough estimation, almost 3 million iPhones made in India were shipped to the US in April.
This appears to be a stark contrast to Chinese shipments, which plummeted by 76% to just 900,000 units.
This is a significant achievement for the country as it is the first time India has consistently outpaced China in supplying iPhones to the American market, as per the media report.
A Strategic Move By Apple
In a way, this represents a shift of Apple’s long-term efforts to diversify its manufacturing base.
Basically, it is part of a strategy that began during the pandemic but has gained urgency in response to recent tariffs.
It appears that Trump’s “reciprocal tariff” policy which was launched on April 2, has imposed a 30% duty on iPhones from China which is much higher compared to a 10% baseline for imports from other countries, including India.
“Apple’s proactive adaptation was evident as the company has been preparing for this kind of trade disruption for years,” said Le Xuan Chiew, research manager at Omdia.
Further adding, “The April spike likely reflects strategic stockpiling ahead of tariff hikes.”
Interestingly, Apple’s trajectory hasn’t shifted, despite the tariff carve-out for consumer electronics announced on April 11.
Earlier during May, the Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed that most iPhones sold in the US will be made in India in the June quarter.
Although, they have a vision that this growth may not be sustainable in the short term as Chiew cautioned that India’s manufacturing capacity — while improving — remains limited.
In the meantime, US demand for iPhones hovers around 20 million per quarter again, a level India is unlikely to match before 2026.
However, the latest figures from April month suggest that Apple’s supply chain strategy is already paying off — both in tariff savings and geopolitical risk mitigation.
