Politico | Apple CEO walks trade tightrope with Trump
Apple's popular gadgets were spared in the Trump administration's latest round of tariffs on US$200 billion worth of products from China, thanks in part to savvy moves by Cook
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Steven Overly on politico.com on September 18, 2018
Apple CEO Tim Cook has successfully navigated his company through President Donald Trump's trade war with China – but the escalating fight still threatens to disrupt the iPhone giant's bottom line.
Apple's popular gadgets were spared in the Trump administration's latest round of tariffs on US$200 billion worth of products from China, thanks in part to savvy manoeuvring by Cook that allows him to do what few others can: simultaneously criticise and endear himself to a temperamental, impulse-driven president.
But as both the US and China pledge to ratchet up tensions further, trade experts warn it will be harder for Cook to keep Apple unscathed.
“If Trump stops here they've dodged a bullet,” said William Reinsch, former president of the National Foreign Trade Council and a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “But if he goes ahead, then it's like Groundhog Day. Do it all over again.”
Trump has already warned that he could impose tariffs on an additional $267 billion worth of goods, covering just about all Chinese exports to the US. That could very well ensnare Apple's Chinese-made devices, including the flagship iPhone, just as the highly lucrative holiday shopping season gets underway.