INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
President Donald Trump has reportedly told Apple CEO Tim Cook that iPhones assembled in China will not be subject to any tariffs imposed by
the US government amid heightening concerns from the technology industry that it might be a pawn in a trade war between the two
countries.The New York Times claims Cook met with Trump to receive assurances and stressed the negative impact that such levies would have
revised list suggested that some chips could be included.Apple tariff assurancesChina is a huge market for Apple, accounting for nearly a
quarter of its global revenue
Since replacing Steve Jobs as chief executive in 2011, Cook has successfully courted Chinese operators and the government.The availability
of iPhones in the country has seen a significant rise in revenue at a time when smartphone saturation and a perceived lack of innovation has
impacted growth in more developed markets.Cook has made frequent visits to China to maintain these relationships and ensure its partners are
Apple has made several concessions to Beijing, including the storage of customer data in Chinese data centres and the blocking of
applications on the App Store that have objectionable content.The newspaper reports that Apple is worried it could be caught in the
crossfire of tit-for-tat sanctions
have found it near-impossible to sell their smartphones and telecoms equipment in the US because of security concerns and Apple might be the
Earlier this year, the company was hit with a seven-year ban from obtaining services and products from US suppliers, placing its future at
risk.Trump personally intervened to secure a proposal that would see ZTE pay a $1.4 billion fine and overhaul its board and management in
exchange for the ban to be overturned.
