Mac And Apple Watch Get Trump Tariffs Starting August 1, Prices Can Soar In The US

Apple Watch produced in Thailand will be subject to a new import rate of 36% when entering the United States. (photo: x @_lexus_nx_)

JAKARTA - Starting August 1, 2025, Apple products such as Mac and Apple Watch produced in Thailand will be subject to a new import rate of 36% when entering the United States. This policy was announced directly by US President Donald Trump through an official letter to the Thai government. This tariff is among the highest among other countries that are also affected by the new policy.

This move is part of Trump's strategy to reduce the US trade deficit with partner countries, including Thailand. Trump stated that the trade relations with Thailand had been unbalanced as the US bought more products made in Thailand than they did. Therefore, this new tariff applies to all products from Thailand that enter the US market.

Apple has in recent years been trying to reduce its dependence on manufacturing in China by moving some of its production lines to other countries, including Thailand.

Apple Watch will start production in Thailand since 2022, followed by the Mac Pro in 2023, and the MacBook which is also planned to be assembled there. However, with this new tariff, the cost of importing these products to the US will rise by more than a third.

Apart from Thailand, similar letters were also sent to other countries such as Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Laos, Myanmar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tunisia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Serbia, and Cambodia, at varying rates. However, tariffs for Thailand are among the highest, namely 36%.

Until now, Apple is still refraining from raising the price of its products in the US even though it has been affected by import rates several times. However, it is not yet known whether Apple will continue to maintain this strategy or start raising prices to cover rising costs due to new rates.

This tariff policy is expected to have a significant impact on Apple's supply chain as well as product prices in the US market. Observers think that if Apple doesn't raise prices, the company's profit margin could be quite depressed.

The new import rate of 36% on products from Thailand, including the Mac and Apple Watch, is a new challenge for Apple and consumers in the United States. This policy has the potential to increase product prices or cut Apple's profit margins, as well as increase uncertainty in the global supply chain of technology.