Technology
Trump Says Apple’s Cook Concerned About Losing Edge to Samsung With Tariffs
(Bloomberg) — President Donald Trump said Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook voiced concerns about chief competitor Samsung Electronics getting an edge because its products, unlike Apple’s, won’t be subject to tariffs when imported by the U.S.
Cook and Trump had dinner on Friday night, while the president was at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. Trump described the conversation to reporters as he prepared to travel back to Washington.
Having dinner tonight with Tim Cook of Apple. They will be spending vast sums of money in the U.S. Great!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 16 August 2019
The majority of Apple’s products are due to be hit with 10% tariffs in the next weeks or months. Levies on the iPhone, iPad, and Apple laptops have been pushed back to Dec. 15, but the tariff hit on the Apple Watch, AirPods, and many accessories is still planned for Sept. 1.
Trump said Cook made a “good case” about the difficulty in competing with Samsung if Apple products are subject to import tariffs. “I thought he made a very compelling argument.”
Apple will be hit by tariffs because it makes the majority of its devices in China before importing them to the U.S. and other parts of the world.
Samsung, however, builds its products across several countries, including Vietnam and South Korea in addition to China. That means their tariff impact will be far less than the impact to Cupertino, California-based Apple.
“It’s tough for Apple to pay tariffs if it’s competing with a very good company that’s not,” Trump said.
Apple needs to incorporate the cost of tariffs into the cost of goods, while Samsung currently won’t, putting Apple at a competitive disadvantage. Samsung is launching its latest device, the Note 10, later this month, while Apple is planning upgrades to the Apple Watch, iPhone, and its computers for later this year.
-
Highlights4 weeks agoOERLive: Top 10 Mathematical Problems AI Has Solved or Transformed
-
Magazines3 weeks agoOER Magazine July Edition 2026
-
Banking & Finance2 months agoOman Housing Bank launches digital waiting list for housing loans
-
Magazines3 weeks agoAl Mar’a Magazine July 2026
-
Alamaliktistaad Magazines3 weeks agoAlam Al-Iktisaad Magazine July 2026 Edition
-
Banking & Finance1 month agoOman Arab Bank CEO Sulaiman Al Harthi Retires as Ali Al Mani Is Named Successor
-
Banking & Finance1 month agoOERLive ANALYSIS: The Coldcard Hack Shows Why Bitcoin Self-Custody Remains Difficult for Ordinary Users
-
News1 month agoMade by Google 2026: Top 10 Biggest Launches You Need to Know – From the New Pixel 11 to a Life-Saving AI Watch

You must be logged in to post a comment Login