Trump aide slams Tim Cook over Apple's China dependence

White House Senior Counselor Peter Navarro criticized Apple CEO Tim Cook for the company's dependence on China, calling it the "longest running soap opera in Silicon Valley." Navarro said Cook has asked for more time to move factories out of China but hasn't taken concrete steps to do so. Apple's shares closed down 1.69% after a new round of tariffs targeting countries like Japan and South Korea.

White House Senior Counselor Peter Navarro has criticized Apple CEO Tim Cook for the company's continued reliance on China for iPhone production, labeling it the "longest running soap opera in Silicon Valley." Navarro accused Cook of repeatedly requesting more time to shift production out of China but failing to take concrete action [1][2][3].

Navarro's comments come as President Donald Trump continues to pressure Apple to move production to the United States. In May, Trump warned that Apple could face tariffs of up to 25% on iPhones made outside the U.S. [1][2][3]. Despite the pressure, Apple has only partially shifted production to India, with the majority still based in China [1][2][3].

Analysts argue that relocating the entire iPhone supply chain to the U.S. is practically impossible due to the complexity and cost of manufacturing. Some estimates suggest a domestically assembled iPhone could cost as much as $3,500 [1][2][3].

Apple has pledged $500 billion toward domestic investments, including initiatives to build AI-related servers and assemble the Mac Pro in Texas [1][2][3]. However, the company's stock has been under pressure, losing over 15% year-to-date and over 7% in the last 12 months [1].

Xiaomi, a Chinese tech giant, has successfully diversified into car manufacturing, surpassing Apple's efforts in the electric vehicle market. Xiaomi's new SUV received over 289,000 orders within an hour of its announcement, highlighting the company's success in the EV sector [4].

References:
[1] https://stocktwits.com/news-articles/markets/equity/trump-advisor-peter-navarro-accuses-apple-ceo-of-delaying-iphone-out-of-china/chFtA02R5Q5
[2] https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/07/trump-navarro-apple-tim-cook-china.html
[3] https://tippinsights.com/navarro-says-tim-cook-too-slow-to-exit-china/
[4] https://www.business-standard.com/technology/tech-news/xiaomi-succeeds-where-apple-failed-as-its-new-ev-surpasses-289k-orders-125070700081_1.html