Apple, China, and Trump's Tiny Screws: The Global Supply Chain Gets Political
From Montgomery Cleft's Desk of Satirical Observations
In the latest episode of America First: The Sequel, former President Donald J. Trump is once again locked in an epic battle against his archnemesis: the global supply chain.
At the heart of the chaos is Apple—the world's favourite trillion-dollar fruit company—which, according to unnamed sources, speculative economists, and possibly a few fortune cookies, is so dependent on China that if Beijing sneezes, Tim Cook catches a cold and Wall Street throws a tantrum.
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iPhone, iChina, iGuess?
Before Trump traded steaks and casinos for executive orders and tariff wars, Apple had already set up camp in China, building sprawling factories filled with enough engineers to staff a small country. Trump's original promise? Bring those jobs home. Nearly ten years later, the results are in: Apple has moved… to Vietnam and India. A solid C+ for Effort, but America remains largely untouched by iPhone assembly lines—unless you count the Apple Store queues.
According to 'completely reliable' but anonymous analysts and professors with books to sell, 80% of iPhones are still made in China. The other 20% are made in countries with cheaper wages and just enough democracy to avoid headlines.
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Tariffs and Terrors
When Trump announced new "reciprocal" tariffs (read: "you tax us, we'll double it and shout louder"), Apple reportedly lost $770 billion in market value in four days. Then—miracle of miracles—Trump blinked, gave tech firms a temporary tariff timeout, and Apple's value bounced back. Conclusion? The free market hates drama, but not as much as it hates Trump's economic experiments.
Fun fact for your Edexcel Politics A Level essays: Apple makes up about 6% of the S&P 500, so if Tim Cook stubs his toe, everyone's retirement fund limps.
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Made in America: The Great Rebuild… Eventually
Trump's dream of millions of Americans "screwing in little screws" has hit some technical difficulties. Apparently, the US doesn't have 200,000 factory workers who live in dormitories next to a football-pitch-sized assembly line. Nor does it have enough engineers willing to mass-produce iPhones for less than the cost of a weekly Pret subscription.
Wayne Lam, a man with charts and a job at TechInsights, claims it would cost $2,000 to make an iPhone in America. That's before accounting for the price of irony.
Matthew Moore, ex-Apple engineer and now a blender baron, says the US lacks one crucial ingredient: "Engineers, everywhere." His proposed solution? Educate more Americans. Radical.
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Lobbying, Donations and Loopholes
Not to be outdone by the Chinese Communist Party's efficiency, Apple's Tim Cook reminded everyone he donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration, a subtle nudge to keep those tariffs away from iPhones, please and thank you.
This resulted in a temporary exemption for Apple products from Trump's new 145% tariff on Chinese exports. That's right: 145%. Why? Because round numbers are for weaklings.
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What Students Should Learn (Besides That Blenders Are Apparently a Backup Plan)
- Globalisation is complicated: Apple isn't just making phones; it's navigating a diplomatic minefield.
- Protectionism has consequences: Tariffs may hurt foreign producers… and domestic investors.
- Lobbying matters: Especially if you can back it up with a million-dollar handshake.
- Nationalism vs. Globalisation is still the ultimate political cage match, and Tim Cook is dodging flying chairs from both sides.
Final Thought
Would Apple exist without China? Not unless you're happy paying £1,600 for an iPhone that takes four years to ship and comes with a thank-you letter from the Department of Commerce. Until the US finds 200,000 workers with nimble fingers and a taste for industrial dorm life, it's safe to say: "Designed in California. Assembled in China" isn't going anywhere.
Except maybe to India. Or Vietnam. Or wherever the next tax break is.
