Trump threatens tariffs on smartphones made outside U.S.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to impose tariffs on Samsung and other smartphone producers, following an earlier announcement targeting Apple.

"It would be more, it would be also Samsung and anybody that makes that product. Otherwise it wouldn't be fair," Trump told reporters at the White House Friday afternoon, when asked whether the president has the power to tariff a single company.

"That'll start on, I guess, the end of June ... I think we have that appropriately done by the end of June," Trump said.

Samsung is a South Korean company, with its Galaxy series a major competitor to Apple's iPhones.

Earlier in the day, Trump announced on social media that he would impose a 25 percent tariff on Apple products unless iPhones are made in the United States.

"I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhone's that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else. If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25 percent must be paid by Apple to the U.S.," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

Also on Friday, Trump threatened a 50 percent tax on all imports from the European Union starting June 1, citing insufficient progress in negotiations.

"The European Union, which was formed for the primary purpose of taking advantage of the United States on TRADE, has been very difficult to deal with. Their powerful Trade Barriers, Vat Taxes, ridiculous Corporate Penalties, Non-Monetary Trade Barriers, Monetary Manipulations, unfair and unjustified lawsuits against Americans Companies," Trump wrote in another post on Truth Social.

"Our discussions with them are going nowhere! Therefore, I am recommending a straight 50 percent tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025," he said.

According to Reuters, following a phone call with U.S. official Jamieson Greer and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Friday, EU Trade Chief Maros Sefcovic said the European Commission, the EU's executive body, remained fully committed to securing a mutually beneficial agreement. However, he emphasized that EU-U.S. trade relations "must be guided by mutual respect, not threats."

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, speaking to reporters in The Hague, supported the EU's approach to trade negotiations. He suggested that the EU would likely view Trump's latest announcement as part of the bargaining process, noting, "We have seen before that tariffs can go up and down in talks with the U.S."

Apple declined to respond to Trump's tariff threat. According to a well-informed source, Apple CEO Tim Cook met with Trump on Tuesday. To avoid potentially higher tariffs, Apple is accelerating its plan to manufacture most iPhones sold in the U.S. at factories in India by the end of 2026.

However, the prospects of Apple shifting production to the U.S. remain dim. In February, Apple announced a $500 billion investment over four years across nine American states, yet this investment was not aimed at bringing iPhone manufacturing back to the U.S. "It is hard to imagine that Apple can fully comply with this request from the president in the next three to five years," D.A. Davidson & Co analyst Gil Luria commented.

(Cover via VCG)