Apple to hire 20,000 people, invest $500 billion in the U.S. amid Trump tariffs
Apple said Monday it plans to invest $500 billion in the United States, hire 20,000 people and open a new manufacturing factory in Texas over the next four years.
“We are bullish on the future of American innovation, and we’re proud to build on our long-standing U.S. investments with this $500 billion commitment to our country’s future,” Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, said in a statement.
The iPhone maker’s announcement underscores how tech giants are trying to forge a closer relationship with President Trump as his second administration imposes new tariffs on China — where Apple manufactures its products — and shapes policies on artificial intelligence.
Apple’s pledge to expand manufacturing in the United States came after Cook met with Trump last week. In a speech to governors in the White House, Trump said Apple was planning to “build here instead because they don’t want to pay the tariffs.”
Trump this month imposed a 10% tariff on imports from China. Citing concerns about illegal immigration and drug trafficking, he also announced tariffs against Canada and Mexico but then said they would be paused for 30 days.
Apple said workers at the factory in Texas will produce servers for Apple Intelligence, an AI system that can help people write, proofread text and complete other tasks. The 250,000-square-foot facility is expected to open in 2026 in Houston.
The 20,000 new jobs will mostly focus on research and development, silicon engineering, AI and machine learning, the Cupertino, Calif., company said.
It’s also doubling its spending on a fund that supports advanced manufacturing and skills development from $5 billion to $10 billion. The company previously announced the U.S. advanced manufacturing fund during Trump’s first term in 2017.
Apple said in addition to the plant in Houston, it plans to expand in other states including California, Michigan, Arizona, Nevada, Iowa, Oregon, North Carolina and Washington.
Those expansion plans include investments in data centers, its facilities and skills development for students and workers. At a manufacturing facility in Arizona, Apple said, it will spend heavily to produce advanced silicon that is used in its devices. In Detroit, the company said, it’s opening a manufacturing academy that will offer free courses online and in person. Apple engineers will team up with university experts to help small and medium-sized businesses implement AI and manufacturing methods.
Other leading tech companies have also touted new investments in the wake of Trump’s election. Meta announced it was planning to build the world’s longest undersea cable to expand high-speed internet access globally. In Trump’s first week in office, OpenAI, Oracle and Softbank announced a $500-billion investment over four years in computing infrastructure to power AI.
