New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has once again lashed out at Apple for plans to expand manufacturing facilities for its flagship mobile phones in India, this time threatening a 25% tariff on any iPhones produced outside the United States.“I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhones that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social on Friday (May 23). “If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S.,” he said.According to Reuters, Apple shares fell 3.7% in premarket trading, wiping out roughly USD 100 billion in market value.According to reports, Apple has declined to comment on the US President’s threat.Trump’s post came shortly after the Financial Times reported that Apple’s key contractor Foxconn is planning to expand its supply chain in India with a USD 1.5 billion plant near Chennai. The move is seen as part of Apple’s broader effort to diversify its manufacturing footprint beyond China, its largest production hub to date, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.However, Apple’s shift has become politically fraught as Trump continues to push for import tariffs on foreign countries in a bid to pressure companies into setting up manufacturing operations within the United States.Last week, during his Qatar trip, Trump had first rebuked Apple after media reports stated that it planned to source production for US-bound iPhones in India.“I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday,” Trump had said. “I said to him: ‘Tim, you’re my friend. You’re coming here with 500bn but now you’re building all over India. I don’t want you building in India.”His remarks stand in direct contrast to one of the Indian government’s flagship initiatives, which seeks to attract foreign manufacturers to invest and produce in India.So far, there has been no official response from the Indian government, despite Trump’s repeated objections, twice in 10 days, to Apple’s expanding footprint in India.The principal opposition party, Congress, questioned the lack of comment from the Indian government. “This is a direct attack on India’s investment. Will Narendra Modi condemn this statement? Trump is continuously making such statements to which the Modi government should respond but the Modi government is silent. After all, what is the reason behind this silence?” the party posted on X.CNBC has reported that producing iPhones in the United States would be prohibitively expensive, with retail prices estimated between USD 1,500 and USD 3,500. At present, most of Apple’s key products are exempt from tariffs after Trump granted a waiver on phones and computers, including those made in China, in April. However, the report notes that Apple remains uncertain about how the administration’s tariff policy will develop after June.