What in Tarnation? Trump Tells Apple: Pay Up or Build 'Em Here!

Ogres Have Layers Apples Have Tariffs?

Well howdy folks! Shrek here reporting live from my swamp and let me tell ya even I'M scratching my head at this one. Apparently ol' Trump is givin' Apple the ol' 'do it our way or else!' routine. He wants them iPhones made right here in the good ol' US of A. If not? BAM! 25% tariff. Talk about a donkey sized headache for Tim Cook. It's like tellin' Donkey not to talk ain't gonna happen!

Far Far Away From American Made?

Now Apple's been movin' some of their iPhone makin' operation over to India see. Seems those folks are playin' nice with the US on trade. But Trump's not havin' any of it. He wants them gadgets stamped 'Made in the USA' or get ready to pay the price. Some fancy pants Wall Street fellas are even sayin' this could jack up the price of iPhones somethin' fierce. One guy even said a US made iPhone could cost like $3,500! That's enough to make even Princess Fiona choke on her onion breath!

The Art of the Deal... or the Sting of the Tariff?

This ain't the first time Trump's been on Apple's back mind you. He's been puttin' the squeeze on 'em to bring more jobs back home. Now I ain't no businessman but even I know you catch more flies with honey than vinegar or in this case a tariff! Apparently Cook even ponied up a million bucks for Trump's inauguration. You'd think that'd buy ya some goodwill but apparently not even money can buy you love from a man who wants to make the world great again.

Foxconn in the Hen House?

To make matters worse Apple's got this partner fella called Foxconn who's droppin' a cool $1.5 billion expandin' his fancy facilities in India. So it's like they are working against Trump’s desires. Talk about awkward right? They expect extra costs for tariffs in the current quarter. But it is very difficult to predict what is going to happen. It's a tangled web they weave...

Trading Blows and Political Jabs

Trump's been takin' potshots at other big companies too like Walmart. But targetting tariffs at a specific gadget? Now that's a new one. And get this – he's even talkin' about a 50% tariff on stuff from Europe! It's like he's tryin' to start a global food fight only instead of pudding it's taxes. I am sure this will make things even more complicated!

Once Upon a Tariff...

Back in Trump's first go round Apple dodged a tariff bullet. Cook bein' the smooth talker he is had a good rapport with Trump and managed to keep iPhones off the naughty list. But now? Well times are a changin' ain't they? And with Apple also seeing their sales slowin' down in China they are feeling all kinds of heat. I am pretty sure they are starting to wish things were more simple.