Why Steve Jobs Knew Making iPhones in the U.S. Was a Bad Idea
Trump Wants Apple to Make iPhones in the U.S., but Steve Jobs Already Explained Why That Doesn’t Work — and the Technical Reality Remains the Same
During a press conference on Tuesday (8th), U.S. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that President Donald Trump ‘absolutely believes‘ Apple could manufacture iPhones in the U.S.
This statement came in the context of rising import tariffs, which are set to increase to 104% on products coming from China starting tomorrow.
Trump claims that if companies like Apple don’t want to pay these tariffs, they should just manufacture their products in the U.S.
But is that even possible?
To understand why Trump’s idea sounds more like political rhetoric than a realistic plan, it’s worth recalling what Steve Jobs said about this issue over a decade ago.
Steve Jobs Knew It Wasn’t Realistic to Manufacture in the U.S.
In 2011, shortly before his death, Jobs had a conversation with then-President Barack Obama. At one point, Obama asked: “What would it take to make the iPhone in the United States?“
Jobs’s answer was direct and blunt:
“Those jobs aren’t coming back.”
Jobs knew that choosing China wasn’t just about cost, but about scale, speed, and technical capability.
Manufacturing an iPhone requires a complex global supply chain, with components sourced from over 50 countries and rare minerals extracted from another 79 — many of which are not available in the U.S.
In addition, China has a concentration of highly skilled labor in specific areas such as machining, precision molding, and electronic assembly.
Tim Cook once said that while in the U.S. it would be hard to fill a room with engineers specialized in precision tooling, in China you could fill several football fields.
The Mac Pro Experience in Texas
During Trump’s first term, Apple tried to respond to political pressure by producing the Mac Pro in Austin, Texas.
The result was underwhelming: difficulties in finding local suppliers, imported components causing delays, and a shortage of labor with the necessary skills… In the end, production was limited and costly.
iPhones Assembled in the U.S. Would Be Much More Expensive
Even if assembling iPhones in the U.S. were possible, the production costs would skyrocket.
This would directly impact the final price — something Apple, focused on global scale, is determined to avoid at all costs.
Today, the company is working to diversify its production with factories in India and Vietnam, but China remains the backbone of its operations.
A Political Rhetoric That Ignores Technical Reality
Trump may believe that Apple “could” manufacture its products in the U.S., but this view ignores all the complexity involved — something that Steve Jobs made very clear over a decade ago.
More than a matter of will, it’s a technical, logistical, and economic reality that cannot be solved by decree or tariff.
Meanwhile, Apple is preparing to counter the impact of tariffs with extra iPhone inventory and increased imports from India.
History shows that manufacturing in the U.S. remains unlikely — and Jobs knew exactly why.