New Delhi, May 28 (IANS) As Apple ramps up its India manufacturing plans, iPhone exports from the country to the US surged 76 per cent (year-on-year) in April, according to a new report.

According to latest estimates by market research firm Omdia, nearly 3 million ‘India-made’ iPhones were shipped to the US in April.

In comparison, iPhone shipments from China plummeted by a massive 76 per cent to just 900,000 units.

This marks the first time India has consistently outpaced China in supplying iPhones to the American market, according to a report by CNBC, citing the data.

“Apple has been preparing for this kind of trade disruption for years. The April spike likely reflects strategic stockpiling ahead of tariff hikes,” Le Xuan Chiew, research manager at Omdia, was quoted as saying in the report.

The demand in the US for iPhones is around 20 million per quarter at the moment.

A ‘Made in US’ Apple iPhone can cost a whopping $3,500 (more than Rs 2,98,000) in absence of a fully-integrated supply chain in the country.

Dan Ives, global head of technology research at Wedbush Securities, told the CNN recently that the idea of fully domestic iPhone production is a “fictional tale.”

Ives also warned that replicating Apple’s complex Asian supply chain in the US would result in massive cost increases.

Moreover, it would take Apple at least three years and a massive $30 billion just to shift 10 per cent of its supply chain to the US, according to market watchers.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said during the company’s latest quarterly earnings call that “the majority” of iPhones shipped to the US for the June quarter will come from India.

US President Donald Trump has threatened a 50 per cent tax on all imports from the European Union as well a 25 per cent tariff on Apple products unless iPhones are made in the US.

However, according to informed sources, India’s competitive edge makes it a natural choice for tech giants like Apple, and the tech giant has assured the government of its commitment to manufacture its products and boost the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

India has become a key hub for Apple’s global supply chain in recent years. Global tech giants such as Apple see a lot of economic sense in setting up manufacturing facilities in the country.

—IANS

na/