India sees 30% tariffs fuel rise in smartphone exports to US in 1H25

India has overtaken China as the top smartphone exporter to the US, marking a major shift in global supply chains. According to Counterpoint Research and Canalys, Apple-led shipments drove a surge in India's exports in the first half of 2025, alongside strong growth in non-smartphone electronics.

According to Counterpoint Research, India's smartphone export volumes surged 30% year-over-year in the first half of 2025, led by Apple's push to ship iPhones to the US ahead of tariff-driven cost pressures. The US accounted for 54% of India's shipments during the period, up sharply from 30% a year earlier, while Europe's share slipped as Apple diverted inventory to North America. The iPhone 16 was the most exported model, making up 18% of all smartphone exports.

Motorola also posted standout growth, with exports rising sevenfold, nearly all to the US, as the brand capitalized on early product launches and market gaps left by competitors. Samsung's exports were largely focused on Western Europe, but its shipments to the US jumped 268% year-on-year. Overall, Apple's exports from India climbed 53% in H1 2025, surpassing 20 million units for the first time in a half-year period.

Complementing this, Canalys data underscored a historic shift: India overtook China as the leading smartphone exporter to the US in the second quarter of 2025. Devices assembled in India accounted for 44% of US imports, up from just 13% a year ago, while China's share collapsed from 61% to 25%. Vietnam also surpassed China with a 30% share. Canalys attributed India's rise to Apple's accelerated supply chain diversification as US-China trade uncertainty deepens.

India's export growth extends well beyond smartphones. The Economic Times, citing the Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council, reported that non-smartphone electronics exports exceeded US$14 billion in FY 2024–25, contributing to total electronics exports of US$38.57 billion, a 32.5% annual increase. Key contributors included photovoltaic cells (US$1.12 billion), telecom equipment (US$1.4 billion), rectifiers, inverters, and chargers (over US$2.5 billion), medical electronics (US$0.4 billion), and PCs and digital processing units (US$0.81 billion).

Source: Department of Commerce of India, August 2025

Article edited by Jack Wu