Foxconn, Tata Electronics Hit Nearly $2B IPhone Export Milestone from India

As U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff regime loomed, Apple moved swiftly to protect its supply chain. In a record-breaking export surge, the tech giant airlifted $1.9 billion worth of iPhones from India to the United States in March alone—an extraordinary logistical sprint designed to beat the impending duties.

At the center of this high-stakes endeavor were Apple's India-based manufacturing partners, Foxconn and Tata Electronics. The two companies exported hundreds of tonnes of iPhones—ranging from the 13, 14, 15, 16, and 16e models—across continents in an unprecedented exercise seldom witnessed in the consumer electronics sector.

Foxconn, the biggest supplier for Apple in India, made up $1.31 billion of the March shipments, based on customs data—the same as all of its January and February shipments combined. All of Foxconn's iPhones were air-freighted out of Chennai and went to big American cities such as Los Angeles, New York, and mainly Chicago. At least six cargo planes took part in what one described as a "strategic rush" to "beat the tariffs."

Tata Electronics, in turn, also registered a massive export jump with exports up 63 percent month-on-month to $612 million in March. The exports comprised mostly the new iPhone 15 and 16 versions, solidifying India's increasing stature as an iPhone global assembly center.

Neither Apple nor its manufacturers commented on the news, but the figures—and the quick airlifts—tell the story: Apple was adamant about not allowing trade barriers to get in the way of its U.S. supply.

To speed up the massive shipments, Apple even lobbied Indian authorities to fast-track customs procedures at Chennai Airport—reducing clearance times from 30 hours to just six.