Trump Praises Tim Cook, Apple Texas Facility, Considers China Tariff Exemption For iPhone Maker

After a tour of the Apple the facility in Texas on Wednesday, President Donald Trump showered praise on Apple CEO Tim Cook and said he wanted to see more Apple plants in the country and hinted some tariff relief as well.

“I would always talk about Apple, that I want to see Apple building plants in the United States, and that’s what’s happening,” Trump told reporters after the tour and added: “Tim Cook is someone I greatly respect.”

Trump had a glimpse of the factory where Apple makes the Mac Pro desktop.

Trump's tour of the Apple plant was also a public demonstration of Trump’s close ties with Cook, and an opportunity to showcase a leading American company upping its base in the U.S. when Trump is trying to clinch an interim trade deal with China to douse the trade war.

Apple has substantial China exposure in terms of its smartphone production. The Texas plant assembles Mac Pro, a high-end computer selling at a base price of $6,000. The Mac Pro is “an example of American design, American manufacturing, and American ingenuity,” Tim Cook said.

During the factory visit, Cook and Trump were joined by White House advisor Ivanka Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

Apple announces new campus in Austin

Meanwhile, Apple announced the construction of a new campus in Austin, Texas. The $1 billion worth campus is expected to open in 2022 and will house 5,000 employees in the beginning. The capacity can scale up to 15,000 later on.

“With the construction of our new campus in Austin now underway, Apple is deepening our close bond with the city and the talented and diverse workforce that calls it home,” said CEO Tim Cook in a statement.

The 133-acre Austin campus is considered a part of Apple's nationwide expansion plan with new Apple facilities planned at Boulder, Culver City, New York, Pittsburgh, San Diego, and Seattle.

Meanwhile, reports said although Apple is not known for openly discounting products on Black Friday, its lucrative gift cards during the purchase are exciting savvy customers.

They notice that already Apple Airpods are down to $168 at Amazon compared to the regular price of $207 at the Apple Store.

The Apple Store deals make an indirect connect with Black Friday by offering an Apple Store Gift Card if items are bought from a select list. Accordingly, iPhones, HomePod, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Beats have a $52 voucher on sale.

Tariff relief on Apple under consideration

Rounding up the visit at the Apple facility Trump also hinted tariff relief to the tech giant.

“The nice part here is you don’t have to worry about tariffs. When you build in the United States you don’t have to worry about tariffs,” Trump said. The President added that he is “looking at” whether to exempt Apple from tariffs on Chinese imports.