Apple's midnight run: 5 planeloads of iPhones reportedly shipped to beat Trump's tariff deadline

In a race against Donald Trump's massive tariffs, Apple reportedly shipped five planeloads of iPhones and other products from India to the U.S. in over just three days in late March.

As per a report from The Times of India, the shipments were rushed ahead of the massive tariffs which have been imposed by the new Trump administration.

The report also claimed that despite the additional costs which the Cupertino-headquartered tech giant may incur due to the tariffs, Apple is not planning to raise retail prices immediately in India or elsewhere.

Fortune India has not independently verified the claims.

To cushion the impact, the company moved significant inventory from its manufacturing hubs in India and China to the U.S. — even though March is typically a slow shipping season.

The early shipments are expected to temporarily shield Apple from higher duties, allowing the company to maintain stable pricing for the next few months. Warehouses in the U.S. are reportedly well-stocked, giving the tech giant breathing room to assess its next steps.

India’s growing role in Apple's global plans

While Apple remains heavily reliant on China — with nearly 90% of iPhones still assembled there, India has quickly emerged as a critical hub for the company’s diversification strategy. In fact, some of the recent emergency shipments came directly from Apple’s Indian factories, signaling the country’s growing importance in Apple’s global supply chain.

Over the past few years, Apple has steadily expanded manufacturing in India through partners like Foxconn and Wistron. Government incentives under the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme have accelerated this shift, with Apple now assembling a significant portion of its latest iPhone models in India.

As per market intelligence firm, Bernstein Research, while China still accounts for about 40% of Apple’s suppliers, India’s share is rising, helping the company hedge against geopolitical risks and trade tensions.

Moreover, India is not just a manufacturing base — it is also one of Apple’s fastest-growing markets for sales. With rising incomes and strong demand for premium smartphones, India is playing a dual role in Apple's strategy: as both a key production centre and a major consumer market.