iPhone Exports from India to the U.S. Hit 11.5 Million Amid U.S.-China Trade Tensions: Canalys

Highlights

• Apple exported 11.5 million iPhones from India to the U.S. between January and April 2025.
• India’s iPhone exports surged 76% in April year-over-year, while China’s exports to the U.S. dropped significantly.
• Apple has been gradually shifting manufacturing to India since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Caption – Canalys report reveals iPhone shipment numbers from India to the US in the last quarter. (Image credit – Apple)

There has been a whole lot of speculation and mainstream conversation recently about Apple iPhone production in India. It is no news that Apple is ramping up production in India and navigating rising trade tensions with China. But a new report is putting things into perspective in terms of numbers.

According to a new report from Canalys (via CNBC), Apple shipped a massive 11.5 million iPhones from India to the U.S. between January and April this year.

Now, this particular period is significant for multiple reasons.

Back in April, it was being reported that Apple flew out three cargo planes full of iPhones from both China and India. Although the company didn’t go into detail during its recent financial call, this new data gives us a better sense of what that production ramp-up in India looked like.

In April alone, 3 million iPhones were exported from India to the U.S., marking a 76% jump compared to the same month last year. However, that figure is down from 4.4 million units in March, suggesting Apple may have anticipated trouble ahead and sped up shipments earlier.

Caption – iPhone shipment numbers from India and China. (Image credit – Canalys)

For comparison, iPhone exports from China to the U.S. totalled 4.3 million units in April, dropping sharply to just 900,000 in May. Interestingly, that May figure is also 76% lower year-over-year, the exact same percentage by which India’s April exports grew, highlighting the shifting supply chain dynamics.

Commenting on the report, Le Xuan Chiew, a research manager at Omdia, said, “This latest trade war with China, is the type of disturbance that Apple has long been trying to prepare itself for.”

He added that Apple began shifting parts of its supply chain to India as far back as the COVID-19 pandemic.

All of this is happening as Apple tries to spread out its manufacturing operations, especially with the looming threat of a 25% tariff on iPhones not made in the U.S., recently floated by President Trump.

FAQs

Q1. How many iPhones did Apple export from India to the U.S. in early 2025?

Answer. Apple shipped 11.5 million iPhones from India to the U.S. between January and April 2025, marking a significant shift in production amid ongoing trade tensions.

Q2. How did India’s iPhone exports compare to China’s in April?

Answer. India exported 3 million iPhones to the U.S. in April, a 76% increase year-over-year. Meanwhile, China’s exports to the U.S. dropped from 4.3 million in April to just 900,000 in May.

Q3. Why is Apple shifting more production to India?

Answer. Apple has been diversifying its supply chain since the COVID-19 pandemic to prepare for trade disruptions, including concerns over a potential 25% U.S. tariff on non-U.S.-made iPhones.