Apple has a backup plan if the US-China trade war triggers iPhone tariffs

Apple has a backup plan if the US-China trade war gets out of hand.

The Cupertino-based company’s primary manufacturing partner has enough capacity to make all iPhones bound for the U.S. outside of China if necessary, according to a senior executive at Hon Hai Precision Industry.

The Taiwanese contract manufacturer now makes most of the smartphones in the Chinese mainland.

China is a crucial cog in Apple’s business, the origin of most of its iPhones and iPads as well as its largest international market.

But President Donald Trump has threatened Beijing with new tariffs on about $300 billion worth of Chinese goods, an act that would escalate tensions dramatically while levying a punitive tax on Apple’s most profitable product.