Tech giant Apple chartered cargo flights to ferry 600 tons of iPhones—around 1.5 million units—to the United States from India, after stepping up production there to avoid U.S. tariffs under former President Donald Trump, sources told Reuters.
Apple lobbied Indian airport authorities to reduce customs clearance time at Chennai airport in Tamil Nadu from 30 hours to just six, implementing a “green corridor” arrangement similar to what it uses in China, a source familiar with the plan said.
About six cargo jets, each with a 100-ton capacity, have flown out since March—one of them departing just as new tariffs were implemented, according to a source and an Indian government official. The packaged weight of an iPhone 14 and charging cable is around 350 grams, indicating the 600-ton cargo represented approximately 1.5 million units.
Apple has been diversifying its manufacturing base beyond China, positioning India as a key hub. Its primary suppliers in the country—Foxconn and Tata—operate three factories, with two more under construction.
To meet increased demand, Apple boosted air shipments and production by extending operations at Foxconn’s largest Indian plant to Sundays, which is typically a holiday. The plant, located in Chennai, produced 20 million iPhones last year, including the latest iPhone 15 and 16 models.
Foxconn shipments from India to the U.S. surged in value to $770 million in January and $643 million in February, up from the $110 million to $331 million range during the previous four months, customs data shows. Over 85% of those shipments were offloaded in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco.
Apple and India’s aviation ministry declined to comment. All sources requested anonymity as the strategy and discussions were private.
