Donald Trump told Apple not to expand production in India

Amid ongoing trade negotiations sparked by his own tariff war, US President Donald Trump said he does not want Apple to manufacture in India, a message he conveyed directly to CEO Tim Cook.

Speaking at an event with business leaders in Qatar on Thursday, Trump said he spoke to Cook about reprioritising the US. “I said I don’t want you building in India. India can take care of themselves, they are doing very well.”

As a result of their discussion, Trump said Apple will be “upping their production in the United States.”

Trump, who is on a four-day tour of the Gulf states, also revealed that India offered a trade deal to the US which would see "basically zero tariffs" on a broad range of American goods.

"It is very hard to sell in India, and they are offering us a deal where basically they are willing to literally charge us no tariffs," Trump said.

New Delhi is seeking to clinch a trade deal with the US within the 90-day pause announced by Trump on April 9 on tariff hikes for major trading partners, which had included a 26% tariff on India.