Dan Ives, an analyst from Wedbush Securities, has warned that the idea of manufacturing Apple Inc. products, including iPhones, in the U.S. is not feasible and would result in significantly higher costs.
What Happened: Ives shared a post on X, formerly Twitter, and said, "If you like a $3,500 iPhone, we should build them in the US or a $1,000 iPhone built in China. Discuss below."
He shared an image from a note that stated, "Making Apple products and iPhones in the U.S. sounds great behind the microphones in the 202 area code…but in reality, they are a fantasy tale that in our view will never happen."
He went on to stress that moving production to the U.S. would likely drive iPhone prices up by two to three times.
He said that the logistics of moving iPhone manufacturing to the U.S. would be a "non-starter" at the current price point. "For U.S. consumers, the reality of a $1,000 iPhone being one of the best-made consumer products on the planet would disappear."
Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at TF International Securities, also weighed in on the situation, suggesting that while Apple has made progress in shifting some production outside China, it faces substantial challenges due to the Donald Trump administration's tariffs.
"If Apple keeps prices unchanged, its overall gross margin could significantly drop by an estimated 8.5-9%," he stated.
