Apple has raised concerns with India regarding its plan to enforce EU-style charger rules, asserting that complying could impede its local production targets, Reuters is reporting.
The discussions, revealed in a government document, indicate Apple’s efforts to negotiate for an exemption or postponement of the mandate.
India aims to adopt the EU’s regulation mandating smartphones to feature a universal USB-C charging port, aligning the deadline six months later than the EU’s, by June 2025.
While other manufacturers, including Samsung, have agreed to India’s proposal, Apple is resistant due to its longstanding use of the lightning connector port on iPhones.
The EU anticipates significant cost savings of around $271 million for consumers with a unified charger solution, aligning with India’s objective to curtail e-waste and benefit users.
However, Apple’s specific port design poses a challenge to this directive.
During a private meeting on November 28 chaired by India’s IT ministry, Apple presented its case, urging officials to exclude existing iPhone models from the mandate.
The company highlighted the potential repercussions on meeting India’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme targets, crucial for expanding iPhone manufacturing within the country.
Apple’s regulatory and product compliance executives expressed concerns about meeting PLI targets should older iPhone models be subjected to the regulation.
However, they did not quantify the precise impact on production during the meeting.
The IT ministry agreed to review Apple’s request and make a decision later, as revealed by sources familiar with the discussions.
Both Apple and India’s IT ministry declined to respond to Reuters’ requests for comments.
