- News. Big, Beautiful Bill Summary: What's in Trump's House-ed budget proposal?
- News. Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill': Here's who will benefit most from the GOP bill
Donald Trump threatened on Friday to impose a 50% tax on all imports from the European Union, as well as a 25% tariff on Apple products, unless iPhones are made in the United States.
The threats, issued via social media, reflect Trump's ability to disrupt the global economy with a single click, as well as the reality that his tariffs are not generating the trade deals he seeks or the return of domestic manufacturing he promised voters.
The Republican president said he wants to impose higher import taxes on products from the EU, a longtime US ally, than on those from China, a geopolitical rival whose tariffs were cut to 30% this month so that Washington and Beijing could negotiate.
"Negotiations are going nowhere"
Trump was upset by the lack of progress in trade negotiations with the EU, which has insisted on reducing tariffs to zero, even as the president has publicly insisted on maintaining a 10% base tax on most imports.
"Our conversations with them are leading nowhere!" Trump posted on Truth Social. "Therefore, I recommend a straight 50% tariff on the European Union from June 1, 2025. No tariff will apply if the product is manufactured in the United States."
That post had been preceded by a threat of import taxes against Apple. Apple now s Amazon, Walmart and other large US companies in the crosshairs of the White House, which is trying to respond to the uncertainty and inflationary pressures unleashed by its tariffs.
"Made in the United States"
"I informed Tim Cook of Apple some time ago that I expect the iPhones sold in the United States to be made in the United States, not in India or anywhere else," Trump wrote. "Otherwise, Apple will have to pay a tariff of at least 25% to the United States."
In response to Trump's tariffs on China, Apple and its CEO, Tim Cook, were looking to move iPhone manufacturing to India as the company adjusts its supply chains. That plan has become a source of frustration for Trump, who also mentioned it last week during his trip to the Middle East.