AppleInsider:
Apple has reached out to Robert Lighthizer, the official U.S. Trade representative, and asked that tariffs not be imposed upon imported products from China. The tariffs would effect all of Apple’s major products according to the letter, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, and Apple TV, as well as parts used to repair devices within the US.
“The Chinese producers we compete with in global markets do not have a significant presence in the U.S. market, and so would not be impacted by U.S. tariffs. Neither would our other major non-U.S. competitors,” said Apple. “A U.S. tariff would, therefore, tilt the playing field in favor of our global competitors.”
This letter will likely have no effect on the administration’s decision to impose these tariffs.
It could be Apple wants the Chinese to know that they are trying.
Really?
Keep playing the ostrich game.
GAsp! Not even with Tim Apple’s signature on the letter???
Not sure why, since the Chinese are not affected. We consumers are the ones who pay through higher prices, or taxes to pay for offsets. Either way, Apple could adjust their profit margin temporarily. What’s the chance of that happening?
But this is coming from “all of Apple” not just him personally, no?
I’m sure those who need Apple hardware will still buy Apple despite the potentially higher prices. If anything, this might just slow down people’s upgrade cycles by a little. Probably not that big of a deal.
Guess I needed to put the sarcasm tags in a larger font size 🙂
Apple is seeing the big picture, you are being shortsighted.
Incremental changes/incremental results. Proportional unless not, i.e. some asymmetrical advantage.
Donald trump is a fascist. Vote next year to make sure he doesn’t see another 4 years.
Then, prosecute him as a civilian and make him go to prison
Sure it’ll have an affect. It’ll make them more maliciously gleeful. They get their jollies by causing damage to California or anything that reminds them of California. Doesn’t matter that it’s part of the U.S. They aren’t there in service to the U.S. They’re there in service to themselves.
Not that big a deal for me, but it will be big for Apple’s China market. I can say for myself I will not be switching out of the Apple platform/ecosystem, no matter the cost implications. It would take a complete dissolution of Apple to push me to another platform. My commitment is total. Yes, it bites that things will start costing more. As for Apple’s China market, dark days ahead.
The Chinese are affected. Those tariffs are not only on Apple products.
The communist party could with one sentence kill Apple in China. “The American products are harming China, we expect therefor all loyal citizens to stop buying them.”
At the same time, I doubt they will do so unless pushed into a corner.
Apple has today about half the US market. That is equal to about 10% of the Chinese. But 10% of the Chinese can’t afford Apple products yet, but they might in a few years. That is why Apple tries so hard.
The prices in the US will go up, which pushes sales down, which lowers production in China. And many other complications. The spiral has to stop soon. Everyone will loose in the end.
China has more middle class people than we have people. They won’t shut down Apple for any reason. Too many jobs. I’ve had business people in China ask me why the US thinks there might be a war. Nobody would win. Politicians crave war because they crave power.
They have little motivation to accede to Trump at this point. With so little time before he is out of office (so most rational people believe I imagine) they will wait him out rather than agree to some unreasonably bad deal from their point of view. Meanwhile we suffer (pay) for his lies about who ultimately pays the tariffs.
A big part of it is about “face” as well. Both sides have their own bottom lines. Everyone knows that if Trump really wants an all-out war on China, he can simply recognize Taiwan as its own country.
Oh boy, I could really use one of those sarcasm detectors! :o)