26-05-2025
Time for America to Start Making iPhones — And Stop Making Excuses
By: Ya Libnan, Op-ED
President Donald Trump has said it clearly:
'America doesn't want to make T-shirts and sneakers; it wants to build technology.'
And he's right. America must stop making excuses and start making things again — especially the very devices we use every day, like the iPhone.
For years, critics have claimed that moving iPhone production to the U.S. would be impractical, even economically disastrous. Some analysts went so far as to suggest a U.S.-made iPhone would cost $3,000 or more. This is not just wrong — it's deliberately misleading.
The reality? Assembling an iPhone takes about
30 to 60 minutes
. Even if that hour of labor were paid at U.S. wages — say
$30–$40 an hour
— the additional cost per device would be
no more than $40
. That's a rounding error for Apple, which sells more than
200 million iPhones
annually and boasts over
$150 billion in cash reserves
.
In 2023, Apple earned
$383 billion in revenue
and nearly
$100 billion in net income
. The company has the resources, expertise, and influence to lead a domestic tech manufacturing revival. The labor cost gap is not a legitimate barrier — it's a convenient excuse for avoiding the short-term challenges of restructuring.
Yes, manufacturing infrastructure costs billions. But Apple has the capital. The U.S. has the workforce. And Foxconn, Apple's main assembler, has already proven it can move production lines quickly and efficiently — it has done so in
India, Vietnam, and Mexico
, often at the request of Apple itself.
If India and Vietnam can import subassemblies and handle final iPhone assembly, why can't the United States? This notion that the U.S. must rebuild the entire supply chain from scratch is disingenuous. The truth is that America can — and should — enter the supply chain strategically, focusing on final assembly, testing, and packaging to start.
Reshoring advanced manufacturing isn't just about jobs — although those would be significant. It's about
strategic autonomy
,
technological independence
, and
economic leadership
.
It's about protecting core industries from foreign leverage. It's about building regional economies in places like
Ohio, Michigan, Texas
, and other states with deep manufacturing roots. It's about restoring a culture of making — not just consuming.
This isn't a matter of possibility. It's a matter of
political will and corporate leadership
.
If President Trump's administration is serious about bringing back American manufacturing, the first place to start is with the iconic product stamped 'Designed by Apple in California.' Let's make it
assembled in America
, too.
This isn't just about an iPhone. It's about making a national statement:
America is back in business
.
