President Trump may have announced a 90-day tariff pause on most countries earlier today, but China isn’t one of them. In fact, the China tariff increased from 104% to 125%, effective immediately.
In case you haven’t been keeping track, the China tariff started off at 20%. Then, in a matter of a week, it became 54%, then 104%, and now 125%.
Update 4/10: The tariff on imports from China is now 145%.
Impact of Trump’s tariff on China
China isn’t the only country that Apple relies on for its supply chain. Vietnam, India, and some others are critical players as well. However, China remains the largest one.
These made up calculations mean one thing: if you need a new Apple product, or were eyeing an upgrade – you should buy it now. There isn’t a world where Apple can afford to sell China-imported products with a 125% tariff without increasing prices to some degrees.
For example, the iPhone 16 Pro 256GB costs $580 to produce, factoring in parts, testing, and final assembly. With a 125% tariff applied, the cost once it hits the US (prior to any Apple profit margin) would be around $1305. Even if Apple decided to take close to no margin, and sell the phone for $1399 – that would still be a $300 price hike from the current price point of an iPhone 16 Pro 256GB.
Apple does produce a number of iPhones in India, so it’s possible that Apple shifts things around to soften the blow as much as possible. Those numbers were just to emphasize the potential severity of tariffs.
So, if you need a new Apple product, I’d recommend you don’t wait around and see what the potential price impacts are. If you aren’t in a rush, don’t panic buy – this recommendation is only for those who need it.
Apple products at normal pricing
iPhones:
- iPhone 16e – $599 on Apple.com
- iPhone 16 – $799 on Apple.com
- iPhone 16 Plus – $899 on Apple.com
- iPhone 16 Pro – $999 on Apple.com
- iPhone 16 Pro Max – $1199 on Apple.com
iPads (all models on sale):
- iPad (A16) – $329 on Amazon
- iPad mini (A17 Pro) – $474 on Amazon
- iPad Air 11″ (M3) – $549 on Amazon
- iPad Air 13″ (M3) – $747 on Amazon
- iPad Pro 11″ (M4) – $948 on Amazon
- iPad Pro 13″ (M4) – $1192 on Amazon
Top comment by JustNeedItForDev
produce, factoring in parts, testing, and final assembly
Testing and assembly are not part of a tariff. A tariff is calculated as "value of import". For example if Apple shipped 1 phone valued at $350 in parts the tariff would only apply to that value, not the cost of labor associated with it. The question is what is the value of the shipment, is it at parts cost for final cost. That will make a big difference in what it will cost in the end.
Macs (most models on sale):
- Mac mini (M4) – $529 on Amazon
- Mac mini (M4 Pro) – $1338 on Amazon
- iMac (M4, 2 ports) – $1179 on Amazon
- iMac (M4, 4 ports) – $1384 on Amazon
- MacBook Air (M4, 13-inch) – $974 on Amazon
- MacBook Air (M4, 15-inch) – $1169 on Amazon
- MacBook Pro (M4, 14-inch) – $1449 on Amazon
- MacBook Pro (M4 Pro, 14-inch) – $2159 on Amazon
- MacBook Pro (M4 Pro, 16-inch) – $2249 on Amazon
- MacBook Pro (M4 Max, 16-inch) – $3149 on Amazon
Products like AirPods and Apple Watch are excluded from this list as they’re regularly manufactured in Vietnam.
My favorite Apple accessory recommendations:
- Anker Ultra-Slim MagSafe Battery Pack
- AirPods Pro 3 (2x ANC vs AirPods Pro 2!)
- Anker Nano 45W Fast Charger with Smart Display
- Anker Prime 3-in-1 25W Compact MagSafe Charger
- Logitech MX Master 4 Mouse for Mac
- AirTag 2 4-pack (50% improved Precision Finding!)
- Belkin MagSafe 3-in-1 Charging Stand for iPhone
- MOFT MagSafe Kickstand Wallet for iPhone
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