U.S. President Donald Trump met with Apple CEO Tim Cook to discuss the implications tariffs may have on imported Apple products.
At a Reuters interview, Trump mentioned that Cook presented a valid case that US tariffs could put Apple at a significant disadvantage against competitors such as Samsung, which won’t be as affected. The president believed that the Apple CEO made a compelling argument, and said that he’ll think about it.
The United States government is planning to put an additional 10% tariff on $300 billions’ worth of imported Chinese products come September 1, but has since extended it to December 15 for MacBooks, iPad and the iPhone. Other items, including the HomePod, AirPods and Apple Watch will still be impacted on the original date.
Apple sent a letter in June imploring the Trump administration to rethink their tariff program due to reduced economic contribution and global competitiveness.