Apple says US tariffs on China would reach a wide range of products

(Reuters) – A "wide range" of Apple Inc. (AAPL.OThe products, including the Apple watch, would be affected by the proposed US tariffs on Chinese products, the company said to US trade officials, without however suggesting that it had an impact on the cow's milk. iPhone.

Apple has not disclosed specific revenue for most of the products involved, but Apple Watch could be the biggest seller. Last year, sales reached approximately $ 6.1 billion, according to an estimate by analyst Bernstein. That's a small part of Apple's global sales for $ 229 billion.

In the United States, Apple has presented the impact on products of tariffs proposed by the Trump administration on a $ 200 billion worth of Chinese goods in an unsigned letter that it submitted Wednesday to US officials in the US. part of a public consultation period.

On Friday, US President Donald Trump, speaking on Air Force One, said he had tariffs on an additional $ 267 billion in Chinese products "ready to go in a short time if I wish it.

Mobile phones, the largest US import from China, have been spared so far, but would be affected if Trump activated the new $ 267 billion tariff schedule.

AirPods headphones, some Apple Beats headphones and new HomePod speaker are also subject to taxes under proposed tariffs on Chinese products worth $ 200 billion, according to the letter submitted Wednesday .

"Our concern about these tariffs is that the United States will be the hardest hit, which will result in lower US growth and competitiveness and higher prices for US consumers," Apple said in its letter. .

Apple has not responded to requests for comments.

The letter did not mention the iPhone, which accounted for about two-thirds of Apple's $ 229 billion in revenue last year. The letter also did not mention the iPad, which reported $ 19.2 billion in sales in the past year, or most of its Mac computers, which generated $ 25.8 billion .

Apple said that its MacMini, a cheap computer delivered without keyboard or mouse, would be affected.

Many Apple accessories, such as mice, keyboards, chargers and even leather covers for iPhone and iPad, would be subject to tariffs, Apple said.

Reuters reported in July that the Apple Watch would likely be affected by the tariffs.

Apple's shares closed Friday down 0.8% in the Nasdaq regular trade and slid another 1% in prolonged trading.

Apple also said that computer parts for its US operations would be affected by tariffs. The company said the "main cards with microprocessor units" could face taxes, as well as equipment used for research and development.

At Apple's last press conference in July, CEO Tim Cook said the company could face such "data center-related" fees.

In its letter, Apple argued that the way in which US trade officials calculated the US trade balance – assigning the total value of a product to a country like China where the final assembly occurs – does not reflect not the real value generated by Apple in the United States. The company said it spent $ 50 billion with 9,000 US suppliers in its most recent fiscal year, including Finisar Corp, a Texas-based chip company, and Corning Inc., a Kentucky company.

"Given the balance of Apple's economic footprint, the burden of the proposed tariffs will weigh much more heavily on the United States than on China," Apple said in its letter.

The technology sector is one of the biggest losers in the proposed $ 200 billion tariff schedule. Fitness tracker maker Fitbit (FIT.N) said that he would be hit by the tariffs, and chip maker Intel Corp (INTC.O) said that taxes could slow down the adoption of 5G networks, the next generation of wireless data technology for phones and other devices.