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Most US-bound iPhones no longer made in China: Apple

Naim HOssain
                                       Published by: Sunday, 18 May, 2025, 8:28 am
Most US-bound iPhones no longer made in China: Apple

Apple says it is shifting production of most iPhones and other devices to be sold in the US away from China, which has been the focus of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

The majority of the iPhones bound for the US market in the coming months will be made in India, while Vietnam will be a major production hub for items like iPads and Apple Watches, chief executive Tim Cook says.

It comes as the technology giant estimated that US import taxes could add about $900m (£677.5m) to its costs in the current quarter, despite Trump’s decision to spare key electronics from the new tariffs.

The Trump administration has repeatedly said it wants Apple to move production to America.

The estimate comes as firms around the world are scrambling to respond to the huge shifts in global trade triggered by Washington’s trade policies.

On a call with investors on Thursday to discuss the firm’s financial performance, the Apple boss seemed keen to draw attention to its investments in the US.

Cook opened the discussion with a reminder of the company’s plans to invest $500bn across several US states over the next four years.

Made in India

He also said Apple is shifting its supply chain for US-bound products away from China, but it is India and Vietnam that are poised to be major beneficiaries of that move.

“We do expect the majority of iPhones sold in US will have India as their country of origin,” Cook said.

Meanwhile, Vietnam will be the chief manufacturing hub “for almost all iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and AirPods product sold in the US.”

China will remain the country of origin for the vast majority of total products sold outside the US, he added.

Apple shares had plummeted after Trump announced his administration would levy “reciprocal tariffs” on products imported to the United States, with the aim of persuading companies to manufacture more in the US.

But his administration faced significant pressure to moderate its plans. Shortly after the tariffs went into effect, it announced that certain electronics, including phones and computers, would be exempted.

Uncertainty reigns

For now, trade turmoil has left Apple’s sales unscathed.

The company said revenues for the first three months of the year rose 5% from the same period last year, to $95.4bn.

Amazon, another tech giant whose results were being closely watched for signs of tariff damage, likewise said sales were holding up, rising 8% year-on-year in its North America e-commerce business in the most recent quarter.

It forecast similar growth in the months ahead.

“Obviously no one of us knows exactly where tariffs will settle or when,” said Amazon boss Andy Jassy, while noting that the firm has emerged from periods of disruption – like the pandemic – stronger than before.

“We’re often able to weather challenging conditions better than others,” he said. “I’m optimistic this could happen again.”

New positioning

The shift of the iPhone supply chain to India was “impressive” according to Patrick Moorhead, chief executive of Moor Insights & Strategy.

“This is a marked change from what [Cook] said a few years back when he said that only China can build iPhones,” Mr Moorhead said.

“There is lots of progress that Apple must show here but it’s a pretty good start,” he said.

Amazon is also repositioning itself to increase resilience in the face of the tariffs.

The company said it working to make sure it had a diversity of sellers and Mr Jassy said he felt the firm was well-positioned for the months ahead, pointing to the firm’s scale and its role supplying everyday essentials.

For now, it said sales had not been hurt by the tariff turmoil. If anything, executives said the business may have benefited from some customers starting to stockpile.

Overall sales jumped 9% to $155.7bn in the first three months of 2025, compared with the same period last year, while profits surged more than 60% year-on-year to roughly $17bn.

Release of roadmap will boost investor confidence, hopes foreign advisor

Desk Report
Published by: Thursday, 12 June, 2025, 9:03 am
   
Release of roadmap will boost investor confidence, hopes foreign advisor

The political “uncertainty” created by the changeover of power has caused foreign investors and expatriates to lose confidence in Bangladesh due to the lack of “financial security”, but the interim government wants to quickly restore their confidence with a “roadmap”, says Foreign Affairs Advisor Md Touhid Hossain.

Touhid made the remarks during his speech as the chief guest at the inauguration of the Branding Bangladesh World Conference series organised by the Centre for NRB (non-resident Bangladeshis) at a hotel in Dhaka on Saturday.

“When someone sees political uncertainty, they are not encouraged to come and invest,” he said.

“That is why a difficult task lies ahead of us and we hope a roadmap will be released very soon. Then they will quickly gain confidence once again.”

The advisor said: “There are foreign investors – including NRBs – who will invest their personal funds. But they will not come, even if they are NRBs, without certainty. This is very natural because you must see that your money is secure. That is undeniable.”

“We are looking into it and our goal is to hand over power to an elected government through an election. We know that it should be done as soon as possible and so the government is working towards this goal.”

Aminul Islam becomes new BCB president

Nurul Islam
Published by: Friday, 30 May, 2025, 8:13 pm
   
Aminul Islam becomes new BCB president

Rural power protests an ‘attempt to destabilise nation’, says Power Division

Nasim Hossain
Published by: Wednesday, 28 May, 2025, 9:02 am
   
Rural power protests an ‘attempt to destabilise nation’, says Power Division

The Power Division has dismissed the ongoing protests over reforms to Palli Bidyut Samity, or Rural Power Council, as “attempts to destabilise the nation”, asserting that the movement is not connected to the organisation’s “dedicated staff”.

 

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the state-run agency urged demonstrators to end the protests and return to their workplaces.

 

“Some employees of the Palli Bidyut Samity (PBS) are trying to create instability in the country by bringing up the issue of rural electricity reform; as an excuse, which is undesirable,” it said.

 

“A press release of unregistered Bangladesh Rural Electricity Association caught the government’s attention and it observed that this so-called group does not represent any legal entity of the PBS, and its dedicated officers and employees were not involved with the movement.”

 

The Rural Electrification Board (REB) supplies power to the countryside through 80 PBSs. Thousands of workers of these councils are protesting over seven demands including implementation of employment rules, cessation of harassment, and withdrawal of cases at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka.

 

They call for the removal of the REB chairman, who has allegedly “disrupted the work environment through fascist-style repression and torture” of the workers.’

 

The protesters cut off power to different districts of the country in October, triggering hours-long outages across those areas. Though they are protesting without switching off power this time, different areas are experiencing regular disruption of services.

 

The statement added that the government was “closely monitoring” the movement and took steps to resolve the situation. These are as follows:

 

Formation of a committee, led by BRAC University Vice-Chancellor Syed Ferhat Anwar, to review the structural and operational framework of REB and PBSs. It will consult all stakeholders before submitting a report ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha holidays.

 

Formation of another committee led by an additional secretary of the Power Division to review alleged discrepancies in pay grades and employment status between REB and PBS employees. A notification on this will be issued next week.

 

Instructions to reconsider the actions against PBS employees on charges of breach of discipline and sparing those who were not involved in activities linked to sabotage.

 

Investigating officers involved in corruption in the procurement, recruitment and promotion process at the REB and taking legal action for those found guilty.

 

Setting an age limit and standard for physical capacity.