Trump may have added 25% iPhone tariff specifically to punish Tim Cook

The extra tariff added to all iPhones imported in the US may not have been about bringing manufacturing back to the US, but specifically to reprimand Tim Cook for skipping a Trump event.Tim Cook (left) with Donald Trump in a previous meeting — image credit: CNBCOn May 23, 2025, Trump announced that Apple would have to pay a 25% tariff on every iPhone imported into the US. AppleInsider noted at the time that it was unusual for Trump to acknowledge that US business would have to pay the fee, instead of inaccurately claiming that foreign countries would.Now according to the New York Times, there appears to have been a reason for Apple being singled out. From May 13 to May 16, Trump was visiting the Middle East and bringing with him representatives of many US companies. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums