5 min
The iPhone and Us- should China or U.S.A. assemble iPhones? Roundsourcing: in a globalized world, opportunities for sourcing goods, services, talent, technology and ideas come from anyw
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- Business
Apple iPhones come from China. Should the U.S. slap huge tariffs on their import? Let’s consider the facts.
The iPhone is an American product sourced of U.S.-based inspiration and design. Conceived and engineered in California and North Carolina, its brain, chips, audio elements and glass are made by workers in Texas, Kentucky, Ohio, California and other states. Apple sources everything where quality and cost dictate, even having its arch-rival Samsung provide its microchips. A French-Italian company in Switzerland provides one critical component where it’s best in class. Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and other high-wage countries contribute key parts of an iPhone. The assembly happens in China, but the labor costs involved only make up 2% of what the consumer pays for the final product.
Apple iPhones come from China. Should the U.S. slap huge tariffs on their import? Let’s consider the facts.
The iPhone is an American product sourced of U.S.-based inspiration and design. Conceived and engineered in California and North Carolina, its brain, chips, audio elements and glass are made by workers in Texas, Kentucky, Ohio, California and other states. Apple sources everything where quality and cost dictate, even having its arch-rival Samsung provide its microchips. A French-Italian company in Switzerland provides one critical component where it’s best in class. Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and other high-wage countries contribute key parts of an iPhone. The assembly happens in China, but the labor costs involved only make up 2% of what the consumer pays for the final product.
5 min