iPhone News: Apple CEO Tim Cook Not Worried About Price Increase Due To Trump Tariffs

Once a vocal opponent of President Donald Trump, Apple CEO Tim Cook has struck a more optimistic tone on White House policies in recent months. In a Monday interview, Cook discussed the developing Trump tariff situation and its effects on U.S. consumers.

In short, Cook does not think it will be a problem.

Cook told Laurie Segall of CNN that he did not anticipate the iPhone falling victim to the ongoing tariff war between Trump and the Chinese government. Trump has proposed tariffs on as much as $150 billion worth of Chinese products in retaliation for Chinese business practices, according to CBS News. China, in turn, has threatened to impose its own tariffs on U.S. imports.

As Cook sees it, the possibility of a full-scale trade war between the U.S. and China is unlikely. He also said any Chinese tariffs would probably not increase iPhone prices, as some feared. The clip can be seen below.

“No one will win from that, it will be a lose-lose,” Cook told CNN. “I think that, when the facts are so clear like that, both parties will see that and be able to work things out.”

China is an important market for Apple, and some recent apprehension over iPhone sales means Apple likely wants to avoid any negative side effects of a trade war. Earlier this year, rumors circulated that the expensive iPhone X model had sold below expectations based on reports from parts manufacturers around the world.

Some of that worry was put to rest when Apple released its quarterly earnings at the beginning of May. Cook did a bit of a victory lap at the time, as those numbers indicated last year’s iPhone models had done reasonably well.

Apple, the world's most valuable company, reported $13 billion in revenue from China in its second quarter.

Trump has railed against Apple in the past for manufacturing products outside the U.S., while Cook has criticized the president’s immigration policies for negative effects on his employees.

However, the two seem to have mended things a bit. They met at the White House at the end of April to discuss trade issues, which preceded Cook’s comments on Monday.