• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechApple

U.S. Denies Apple Tariff Relief on Mac Parts After It Commits to Assembling Its Computers in Texas

By
Mark Gurman
Mark Gurman
,
Mark Niquette
Mark Niquette
, and
Bloomberg
Bloomberg
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Mark Gurman
Mark Gurman
,
Mark Niquette
Mark Niquette
, and
Bloomberg
Bloomberg
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 30, 2019, 8:14 PM ET

Apple was denied relief for tariffs on five Chinese-made components for the upcoming Mac Pro computer, even after the company announced it was keeping some assembly operations in the U.S.

The U.S. Trade Representative’s office refused to grant reprieve from 25% tariffs on the much-discussed optional wheels for Apple’s Mac Pro, a circuit board for managing input and output ports, power adapter, charging cable and a cooling system for the computer’s processor.

The decisions, posted Monday, come about a week after Apple announced it would make new Mac Pro computers in Austin, Texas after originally considering shifting production to China like its other products. The move followed an announcement this month that the U.S. trade office had agreed to Apple’s request for tariff waivers on 10 of 15 Chinese parts.

President Donald Trump on Monday linked on his Twitter account to a Fox Business story about Apple’s plans in Texas and praised the company for supporting U.S. jobs.

“Great news! @Apple announced that it is building its new Mac Pro in Texas. This means hundreds of American jobs in Austin and for suppliers across the Country. Congratulations to the Apple team and their workers!” the president tweeted Monday.

Great news! @Apple announced that it is building its new Mac Pro in Texas. This means hundreds of American jobs in Austin and for suppliers across the Country. Congratulations to the Apple team and their workers! https://t.co/FMrWFq9wcz

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2019

Economic Harm

Apple said it didn’t have any comment beyond last week’s announcement.

Exclusion decisions are based on whether a product is available only from China, is strategically important or related to Chinese industrial programs, and whether duties will “cause severe economic harm” to the company or U.S. interests.

In letters to Apple posted online, USTR said the five exclusion requests were denied because they “failed to show that the imposition of additional duties on the particular product would cause severe economic harm to you or other U.S. interests.”

In announcing that the Mac Pro would continue to be made in Texas, Apple applauded the Trump administration for its tariff relief on the other components, including the computer’s casing and accessories like the mouse and trackpad. The starting price for the Mac Pro is $5,999 and the optional wheels are expected to be an extra cost.

In its 15 requests for exclusions posted July 18, Apple said the devices or components are not related to Chinese industrial programs — and that “there are no other sources for this proprietary, Apple-designed component.”

No Relief

Trump had signaled that relief from tariffs would be rejected, saying in a July 26 tweet that “Apple will not be given Tariff waiver, or relief, for Mac Pro parts that are made in China. Make them in the USA, no Tariffs!” But the president later told reporters “we’ll work it out” and that “I think they’re going to announce they’re going to build a plant in Texas.”

Apple’s requests involved goods that are part of $200 billion in Chinese products hit with tariffs last September. Trump increased the duty on that batch to 25% from 10% in May. The rate is due to rise to 30% on Oct. 15, including on another $50 billion of goods also hit last year.

Products such as the Apple Watch, AirPods and iMac computers were hit by 15% tariffs earlier this month, while the iPhone, iPad and other major Apple products are set to be impacted later in December. Apple has maintained that its products are primarily designed in the U.S. and has grown its local investment since the trade war began brewing.

More must-read stories from Fortune:

—The cheapest mobile plans for your iPhone 11
—How Russian PR firms plant stories for companies in U.K. news outlets, social media
—From premium speakers to privacy, Amazon has a plan to make Alexa sound even better
—Meet the women leading Netflix into the streaming wars
—Why Apple is offering cheaper streaming and iPhones
Catch up with Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily digest on the business of tech.

About the Authors
By Mark Gurman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Mark Niquette
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Bloomberg
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
Fortune Secondary Logo
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

burger king
AIOpenAI
Burger King tests OpenAI-powered headsets that will track the friendliness of drive-through workers
By Dee-Ann Durbin and The Associated PressFebruary 27, 2026
2 hours ago
zuck
LawSocial Media
20-year-old claiming social media addiction in landmark trial says she was on it ‘all day long’ as a child. Meta brings up abusive environment
By Kaitlyn Huamani, Barbara Ortutay and The Associated PressFebruary 27, 2026
2 hours ago
dorsey
BankingLayoffs
Jack Dorsey lays off 40% of Block, saying AI has changed the game: ‘Intelligence tools have changed what it means to build and run a company’
By Elaine Kurtenbach and The Associated PressFebruary 27, 2026
2 hours ago
ted
Big TechMedia
Netflix walks away, saying Warner was ‘always a ‘nice to have’ at the right price, not a ‘must have’ at any price’
By Wyatte Grantham-Philips and The Associated PressFebruary 27, 2026
2 hours ago
AsiaSingapore
ComfortDelGro considers bringing self-driving vehicles to London as the Singapore transit operator reports record $4 billion revenue
By Angelica AngFebruary 27, 2026
3 hours ago
hegseth
AIMilitary
Former General sees Pentagon painting ‘bullseye’ on Anthropic but warns, ‘they’re not trying to play cute here’
By Matt O'Brien and The Associated PressFebruary 27, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Innovation
An MIT roboticist who cofounded bankrupt robot vacuum maker iRobot says Elon Musk’s vision of humanoid robot assistants is ‘pure fantasy thinking’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezFebruary 25, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Jeff Bezos says being lazy, not working hard, is the root of anxiety: ‘The stress goes away the second I take that first step’
By Sydney LakeFebruary 25, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump claims America is ‘winning so much.’ The IMF agrees, adding that Trump’s trade policies are the only thing holding it back from even more
By Tristan BoveFebruary 26, 2026
21 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Gen Z Olympic champion Eileen Gu says she rewires her brain daily to be more successful—and multimillionaire founder Arianna Huffington says it really does work
By Orianna Rosa RoyleFebruary 25, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Jamie Dimon says society should start preparing for AI job displacement: ‘Now’s the time to start thinking about’ it
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezFebruary 25, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Ex–presidential candidate Andrew Yang warns that millions of white-collar workers will lose their jobs within 18 months: ‘The AI jobpocalypse is here’
By Preston ForeFebruary 25, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.