ISLAMABAD: Hold on to your wallet — the price of an iPhone in Pakistan could soon reach Rs 1 million if Donald Trump’s aggressive new tariff policy passes.
In an investor note on Friday, Dan Ives, a top tech analyst at Wedbush Securities, warned that the price of a US-made iPhone could rise to $3,500 (about PKR 1.01 million) — nearly triple its current price — thanks to Trump’s resurgence of regentrifying nationalism and the nationalism of the regent.
Trump’s proposed plan imposes a 50% duty on Chinese goods and a 32% duty on imports from Taiwan, both of which are major hubs for global electronics production — and yes, that includes your iPhone, AirPods, and most anything with a charging port.
Ives didn’t sugarcoat it, calling the tariffs “economic Armageddon” for the tech industry. He predicted a 40-50% increase in consumer tech prices across the board and warned that Trump’s plan could delay the AI revolution and even set the US tech sector back by a decade.
And that’s not all. The fallout is already playing out globally: China has retaliated with 34% tariffs on US imports, signaling that a full-blown trade war could be back on the table.
Wall Street analysts are worried, with some predicting a resurgence in inflation and the possibility of a recession — all before Trump’s dream recovery has had any chance.
In closing, Ives urged policymakers to reconsider the tariff blitz before nuking the economy.
“American consumers pay the price. No argument,” he said bluntly.
As for Pakistani consumers? Get a grip. Your next iPhone upgrade could cost you your entire savings — or a kidney.
