Apple as a buffer against tariff wars: a CNBC interview with A. S. Cook on the fall of the value of the United States

Meanwhile, the effect of President Trump’s tariffs are already reverberating across many industries, but Cook downplayed any major impacts in an interview with CNBC. He pointed to Apple’s well-distributed supply chain and manufacturing operation as a potential buffer. He said that half of iPhone sales in the United States come from India. Most of the country of origin is Vietnam for Mac and iPad, as well as for the Watch. There is much speculation about a price hike for Apple’s next lineup of phones. He said that it’s difficult to look at the individual parts and how they come from in an Apple device.

An Apple spokesman declined to make any company executives available for this article. The company said this year that it would invest $500 billion in the United States over the next four years and begin making artificial intelligence servers in Houston in 2026.

Gene believes that if the United States and China broke away, the value of Apple would fall in half. Even if it shifted some production to other countries, about a third of its sales will still be tied to products made in China. And the value could drop to $1.2 trillion if it also lost its sales to Chinese customers, as its rival Samsung did after a dispute between South Korea’s and China’s governments. Beijing has already discouraged iPhone purchases by government employees.

A major drop in Apple’s value would ripple through the stock market. The company accounts for about 6 percent of the S&P 500 index. That means for each dollar invested in the fund, about 6 cents goes to Apple stock. Most 401(k) owners would see their stake cut in half.

The iPod, iPad, and iPad: How Apple has been trying to break Cook’s 2021 Decay Constraints on Artificial Intelligence

A senior reviewer has worked at The Verge since it was founded. His coverage includes audio (Sonos, Bose, Sony, etc.), home theater, photography, and more.

Apple has released new MacBook Airs and iPad Air in the last few months. The iPhone 16E, a lower-cost version, was released in February. But Apple’s software team has been going through a rough patch following a series of stumbles and embarrassments.

The company’s attempts to build out its own artificial intelligence capabilities that rival OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and other leaders in the category have been slow going. In early March, long-promised improvements to the company’s Siri assistant were delayed. Apple is rumored to be integrating Google’s Gemini to its Apple Intelligence software suite this fall to help keep pace.

Apple is also navigating significant legal battles. In a Wednesday ruling, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers excoriated Apple executives including CEO Tim Cook for deliberately trying to limit and mollify a 2021 ruling intended to loosen the iPhone maker’s grip over the App Store. Apple has appealed Rogers’ order, but if it holds, companies including Epic, Spotify, and Patreon are planning to seize the opportunity to more freely sidestep Apple’s in-app payments and steer users to the web.