Apple India's cargo flights carrying 600 tons of iPhones to the US set this new record

Apple ’s key Indian suppliers, Foxconn and Tata, significantly increased iPhone shipments to the US in March, reaching a record high of nearly $2 billion, as the tech giant sought to avoid potential tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, a report has said.

Citing commercially available customs data, news agency Reuters reported that Foxconn, a primary Apple supplier in India, achieved record-breaking exports in March, shipping smartphones worth $1.31 billion. This figure surpassed the combined shipments for January and February.

The data also points out that all Foxconn shipments to the US in March originated from the Chennai Air Cargo terminal and were transported via air to various destinations, including Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago, with Chicago receiving the largest volume.

The exported devices included Apple iPhone 13, 14, 16, and 16e models, bringing Foxconn's total iPhone shipments from India to Apple’s home country to $5.3 billion for the year.

Tata Electronics exported iPhones worth $612 million in March
Tata Electronics, another Apple supplier, also contributed to the surge, exporting iPhones worth $612 million in March. This represented a roughly 63% increase compared to the preceding month, with shipments comprising iPhone 15 and 16 models.

The details surface days after Reuters and The Times of India reported that Apple ramped up production in India and utilised air cargo to transport 600 tons of iPhones to the US, aiming to maintain adequate inventory in one of its crucial markets amidst concerns that Trump's tariffs would inflate costs.

In early April, the US government implemented 26% duties on imports from India, a rate considerably lower than the tariffs exceeding 100% that China faced at the time. While Trump later paused most duties, the levies on China remained in effect for a period.

Although Trump subsequently granted exclusions for smartphones and certain other electronics, primarily imported from China, he also indicated that these exemptions might be temporary.