Tim Cook and President Trump discuss implications of the trade war on Apple

Humza

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Why it matters: The Trump administration's tariffs on goods imported by the US in its trade war with China are going to hit Apple, among other companies, the majority of whose products are Chinese manufactured. Now, President Trump has said that he'll be thinking about these tariffs on Apple products after Tim Cook showed concern about competing with Cupertino's biggest rival Samsung, the South Korean conglomerate that, owing to a broader and diverse supply chain, will see a far less impact on its business compared to California-based Apple.

A 10 percent tariff on Chinese imported goods including smartwatches, smart speakers and Bluetooth headphones means bad news for US tech giants like Apple, whose Mac Pro could see "no tariffs" if Apple decides to produce it locally.

Although that in itself maybe impossible for Apple in its current state of business, the company pushed by the US-China Trade war has been looking to move some of its production outside of China. While its alternate manufacturing and business investments will take their time to mature, it's still heavily reliant on China for production.

The tariff situation, however, puts Apple at a disadvantage over Samsung, a topic that was recently discussed over dinner by President Trump and Apple CEO Tim Cook at the president's golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

According to CNBC, Trump said that Cook made a "good case" that it's difficult for Apple to compete with Samsung considering that the former isn't subject to tariffs as most of its manufacturing is in South Korea. "I had a very good meeting with Tim Cook," Trump told reporters. "I have a lot of respect for Tim Cook, and Tim was talking to me about tariffs. And one of the things, and he made a good case, is that Samsung is their number-one competitor, and Samsung is not paying tariffs because they’re based in South Korea."

Citing Tim's concerns, Trump said that "it’s tough for Apple to pay tariffs if they’re competing with a very good company that’s not. I said, ‘How good a competitor?’ He said they are a very good competitor. So Samsung is not paying tariffs because they’re based in a different location, mostly South Korea but they’re based in South Korea. And I thought he made a very compelling argument, so I’m thinking about it."

Samsung, which more or less competes with Apple in every tech segment, won't be subject to the import tariffs that are due to go into effect from September 1, affecting gadgets like the Apple Watch and Airpods while taxes on Apple's iPhone, iPad and computers are expected to go live by mid-December.

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So tariff Samsung as well. Tariff anything that's "made in China" that could easily be made in a democratic country. The left loves to talk about what hard workers the Mexicans are. Great, let's start building tech goods in Mexico. So tired of all these billionaires poor-mouthing us over the horror of their stock-based compensation only being enough to buy FIVE mansions per year instead of eight.
 
So tariff Samsung as well. Tariff anything that's "made in China" that could easily be made in a democratic country. The left loves to talk about what hard workers the Mexicans are. Great, let's start building tech goods in Mexico. So tired of all these billionaires poor-mouthing us over the horror of their stock-based compensation only being enough to buy FIVE mansions per year instead of eight.
While I agree about the smug CEOs complaining, IMO, tariffs are not helping anything. They appear to be hurting many economies including the US economy.
 
That main image is hilarious, it looks like the Trumper's incoherent gum flapping has given Tim Cook's brain a parsing error.
 
Trump can barely form a proper sentence, let alone understand a global economy.

Remind me how your pal the eloquent and charismatic Obama managed our country again. Oh right, he needed that "magic wand" to make it happen. Economy is in great shape, unless of course you listen to CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, ABC, PBS, and the whole circus on the left -they only offer doom and gloom, and will spin ANY good news in a bad light because "Trump."
 
Yes, leave it to Orange Tariff Man, he'll save the day by making Apple products exempt from tariffs! What a great "president" he is! Let's all thank him for being so wonderful and saving Apple's juicy profit margins.

This is kind of like setting your own house on fire and then expecting praise when you put out the fire that YOU started.
 
Trump can barely form a proper sentence, let alone understand a global economy.

Remind me how your pal the eloquent and charismatic Obama managed our country again. Oh right, he needed that "magic wand" to make it happen. Economy is in great shape, unless of course you listen to CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, ABC, PBS, and the whole circus on the left -they only offer doom and gloom, and will spin ANY good news in a bad light because "Trump."
Ah yes, here we go. The typical deny, distract, and confuse strategy perfected by the brain dead morons at Fox News. Say anything bad about Trump or Republicans and they immediately jump to the crown jewel of their stupidity called whataboutism. What about Obama? What about the Clintons? What about George Soros?! Anything you say Trump did, THESE guys did a hundred times worse? Right? All your problems can be explained away by three things: everything's China's fault, everything's the fault of immigrants at the southern border, everything the "mainstream media" tells you is a lie. Republicans are NEVER to be blamed for anything, it's always someone else's fault. America what a joke you have become.
 
Kind of hard to feel "sorry" for Apple. They wanted the cheapest source possible, to continue to over inflate their stock price. Now, it's catching up with them. Hey Apple...like a lot of corporations, instead of having a wage gap of 50-60% or more between the CEO's and the "workers" how about going back to the way it was after WW2 where management & the workers SHARED in the success of a company.
Oh no, can't do that, what would my other over inflated CEO's think?
I feel no pity for ANY company in the USA that sold themselves out, for the cheap labor higher stock prices.
 
Kind of hard to feel "sorry" for Apple. They wanted the cheapest source possible, to continue to over inflate their stock price. Now, it's catching up with them. Hey Apple...like a lot of corporations, instead of having a wage gap of 50-60% or more between the CEO's and the "workers" how about going back to the way it was after WW2 where management & the workers SHARED in the success of a company.
Oh no, can't do that, what would my other over inflated CEO's think?
I feel no pity for ANY company in the USA that sold themselves out, for the cheap labor higher stock prices.
Well, when recent tax law favors investing in manufacturing overseas - https://www.cnbc.com/2017/12/19/tax...anies-to-invest-in-foreign-manufacturing.html - it is rather difficult to blame any company. Don't get me wrong, IMO, crApple is a blight on the world.

How about we start at home and change tax laws to favor keeping manufacturing in the US?

Seems to me to make far more sense than blaming everyone and everything other than ourselves.

IMO, this just goes to show that the blame in squarely placed in the wrong spot.
 
Don't you get it Apple these he made these tariffs to protect your secrets from the Chinese? bwahahaha! And you don't pay for them anyways the Chinese do. bwahahaha!
 
Tax apple 100% and the problem is solved.
They are the greediest corporation on the planet and they have no problem "competing" since really they haven't made a competitive product in about 7 years now and "fans" are still buying their garbage.
They are literally making and selling the lowest quality devices of any major brand and they are selling them at the highest prices with the largest markup. If there is one company who has no right to talk about "competition" its apple.
The are a disgust to humanity.
 
Kind of hard to feel "sorry" for Apple. They wanted the cheapest source possible, to continue to over inflate their stock price. Now, it's catching up with them. Hey Apple...like a lot of corporations, instead of having a wage gap of 50-60% or more between the CEO's and the "workers" how about going back to the way it was after WW2 where management & the workers SHARED in the success of a company.
Oh no, can't do that, what would my other over inflated CEO's think?
I feel no pity for ANY company in the USA that sold themselves out, for the cheap labor higher stock prices.
I feel exactly the same way.
Sellouts have no reason to cry.
 
He put himself in this situation
Yes Tim Cook did put himself in this situation.
So tariff Samsung as well. Tariff anything that's "made in China" that could easily be made in a democratic country. The left loves to talk about what hard workers the Mexicans are. Great, let's start building tech goods in Mexico. So tired of all these billionaires poor-mouthing us over the horror of their stock-based compensation only being enough to buy FIVE mansions per year instead of eight.
While I agree about the smug CEOs complaining, IMO, tariffs are not helping anything. They appear to be hurting many economies including the US economy.
Tariffs are doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing.
Destroying Chinese export economy until we end up with fair trade terms.

Companies are diversifying and mfg isn't all going to come from one country.
China has pulled a lot of tricks over the last years such as requiring other companies to surrender their technology, designs and other IP to China in order to have a factory built there (which is then copied and knocked off). They have also hit foreign firms with gigantic "fines" after those firms sold well in china, in order to take back any profits a foreign firm has made in china.
Honestly I think the tariff should be 100% and there should be incentives for building in the USA. Considering that so much of our hardware today is made with automation.... there is no reason it cannot be done in the USA.
 
Tariffs are doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing.
Destroying Chinese export economy until we end up with fair trade terms.

Just to clarify things: move Chinese factories and processes to the US means at least two things: higher salary for US factory workers (not just couple dollars compared to Chinese labour) therefore it is likely the manufacturing cost for that piece of tech will increate simply bc they want to keep the same profit margin as well their investors the same amount of money they received before and a bit more every time (as there is more need for that tech).
Currently there are tasks which is easier and cheaper to do it with human labour rather than with automated machines on the manufacturing lines.
Also resources (iron, copper...) can be found there or delivered cheaply.

If they move certain processes to the US it is likely to see a higher increase on customer/consumer side than the current import/export tariff today.
Keep in mind that China artificially keeps it's currency's worth low.
 
He put himself in this situation
Yes Tim Cook did put himself in this situation.
So tariff Samsung as well. Tariff anything that's "made in China" that could easily be made in a democratic country. The left loves to talk about what hard workers the Mexicans are. Great, let's start building tech goods in Mexico. So tired of all these billionaires poor-mouthing us over the horror of their stock-based compensation only being enough to buy FIVE mansions per year instead of eight.
While I agree about the smug CEOs complaining, IMO, tariffs are not helping anything. They appear to be hurting many economies including the US economy.
Tariffs are doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing.
Destroying Chinese export economy until we end up with fair trade terms.

Or not:

"China says U.S. dollar-denominated exports in July rose 3.3% from a year ago while imports fell 5.6% during the same period.
Economists polled by Reuters had expected July’s exports to fall by 2% from a year ago, and imports to decline by 8.3% over the same period."

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/08/chi...july-2019-trade-data-exports-and-imports.html

Maybe next month, right? Or the one after that. No, no, next year! Fer sure.
 
Remind me how your pal the eloquent and charismatic Obama managed our country again. Oh right, he needed that "magic wand" to make it happen. Economy is in great shape, unless of course you listen to CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, ABC, PBS, and the whole circus on the left -they only offer doom and gloom, and will spin ANY good news in a bad light because "Trump."
What are you actually talking about? Obama inherited a broken, collapsed economy thanks to Bush, insane GOP spending, and *****ic tax cuts. He then spent eight years rebuilding it into that "great shape" that Trump inherited and loves to brag about.
 
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