In a tweet on Friday, President Trump said his administration will not grant Apple any relief on Mac Pro parts made in China.
"Apple will not be given Tariff wavers (sic), or relief, for Mac Pro parts that are made in China," President Trump said. "Make them in USA, no Tariffs!"
Shares of Apple dipped slightly on the tweet.
Apple declined to comment.
Apple asked for waivers on tariffs on the Mac Pro. Apple said it wanted to be exempt on some parts it uses for the new Mac Pro, including a power supply unit, the stainless-steel enclosure, finished mice and trackpads and circuit boards.
"There are no other sources for this proprietary, Apple-designed component," Apple said in a filing.
Apple said in June that tariffs on its products will reduce its contribution to the U.S. economy. In a letter to U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer, Apple said tariffs would "also weigh on Apple's global competitiveness" since Chinese companies compete with the products Apple builds. Trump met with Apple CEO Tim Cook in June to discuss trade.
Economic advisor Larry Kudlow said to the White House press pool that Trump has encouraged Tim Cook to move operations out of China but that it's "up to Mr. Cook" and that if Apple moves some of its Chinese operations to the U.S. that would be "a very good thing."
The new Mac Pro was announced in June at Apple's annual developer conference. It replaces the older Mac Pro, which was built in Texas. It goes on sale this fall.
