04/07/2025

A $2,300 iPhone? Trump's tariffs could make it happen

President Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on countries around the world that could drastically alter the landscape of global trade, and consumer goods like Apple's Chinese-made iPhones could be among the hardest hit, analysts said. Most iPhones are still made in China, which was hit with a 54% tariff. Apple has a tough choice: absorb the extra expense or pass it on to customers. One calculation shows the popular phones could end up costing as much as $2,300.

■Class discussion: Could you afford to spend $2,300 for a cell phone? Would you? Tariffs have been imposed nearly everything imported into the United States. What else will cost more? Food? Clothing? Vehicles? Do you think your family will buy much less? If everyone cuts back on spending, could that hurt businesses and force them to fire workers? Trump says tariffs will eventually create more U.S. jobs, but it takes many years to build new factories. Are higher prices and job cuts now worth the promise of some future payoff?