Macs and Apple Watches are among the products to be hit by new tariffs on products manufactured in Thailand, taking effect on August 1.
Products imported from Thailand into the US will be subjected to a 36% tariff, increasing the cost to Apple by more than a third …
Apple’s long-term plan to reduce its dependence on China has seen the company encourage its suppliers to set up production lines in a number of other countries, including Thailand.
The Apple Watch was the first product to be made in Thailand, with manufacturing beginning there in 2022. This was followed by the Mac Pro in 2023, with MacBooks also in line for assembly there. Quanta reportedly started work on production lines for MacBooks alongside the Mac Pro back in 2023, though the status of these is unclear.
Trump first threatened the 36% tariff on Thai-made products back in April, then “paused” them in response to market turmoil. However, he has now posted on social media a copy of a letter informing the Thai government that this tariff will be imposed from August 1.
CNBC reports that similar letters have been sent to Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Laos, Myanmar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tunisia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Serbia, and Cambodia with varying tariff rates. The 36% imposed on Thailand is among the highest.
As before, Trump’s stated reason is that US consumers buy more Thai-made products than vice-versa (random capitalisation and punctuation sic).
We have had years to discuss our Trading Relationship with Thailand, and have concluded that we must move away from these longterm, and very persistent, Trade Deficits engendered by Thailand’s Tariff, and Non Tariff, Policies and Trade Barriers. Our relationship has been, unfortunately, far from Reciprocal. Starting on August 1, 2025, we will charge Thailand a Tariff of only 36% on any and all Thai products sent into the United States, separate from all Sectoral Tariffs.
Trump had originally claimed he would strike new trade deals with 90 countries during the “pause,” but none have yet been signed, and only three have made any progress at all.
As that pause was set to expire, the U.S. has announced only broad frameworks with the United Kingdom and Vietnam, as well as a preliminary agreement with China.
Apple has so far resisted increasing its US prices in response to tariffs, but it’s unknown whether it will continue to do so.
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