Apple AAPL US did not publicly respond to Trump's claim that Cook planned to relocate manufacturing operations from Mexico to the United States.

President Trump stated at a meeting of governors on Friday that Apple AAPL US CEO Tim Cook planned to move some manufacturing from Mexico to the US. However, Apple has not made any public statements about the news. Trump revealed that during a meeting with Cook, Cook said he had halted two manufacturing plants in Mexico and planned to produce related products in the US, and also promised to invest billions of dollars in the US. Trump added at the meeting: "They don't want to be affected by tariffs." It is not clear what manufacturing facilities Trump is referring to. However, Apple's main partner Foxconn has a large manufacturing base in Mexico and has announced an expansion of its business. It is worth noting that Foxconn mainly manufactures iPhones in Asia, and Apple's production is still highly dependent on China. Trump told reporters later on Friday that he had a deep discussion with Cook, and revealed that Cook "is going to start producing," "it's going to be a big one - you can just ask him, I think they're going to announce it." Apple did not respond to Trump's statement. Cook has been trying to maintain a good relationship with Trump, attending his re-election inauguration last year and visiting Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida during the presidential transition. Apple is now at the center of the trade tensions between China and the US. Trump's administration has imposed 10% tariffs on Chinese-made goods, which has posed a challenge to Apple's business, especially amid weak iPhone sales. Despite Trump's claim that Apple is moving manufacturing to the US, in fact Apple's manufacturing in Mexico is not dominant. Apple only produces some parts in Mexico through suppliers such as Molex LLC, Yageo Corp. and Skyworks Solutions Inc., while most of its manufacturing remains concentrated in Asia. During Trump's first term, Cook won an iPhone tariff exemption through his close relationship with the president. However, Trump recently suggested that the exemption may not be extended. He said he planned to impose new tariffs on imported goods in a comprehensive manner and tried to avoid any special exemptions. Apple's stock price fluctuated little on Friday, closing down 0.11% to $245.55 amid the sharp decline of the three major US stock indexes.