The U.S. government’s push for domestic manufacturing, encouraged by former President Donald Trump’s import tariffs, once opened the door for tech giants like Apple to shift production back to American soil. However, that ambition appears to have hit a significant roadblock—one as small as a screw.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated Trump’s belief that Apple could successfully bring its production operations to the United States. “Absolutely, he believes we have the workforce and the resources to make it happen,” Leavitt said in a press statement on Friday, April 11, 2025, as quoted by Mac Rumors.

She also pointed to Apple’s reported $500 billion investment in the U.S. economy as proof of the company’s confidence in the nation’s industrial capabilities. “If Apple didn’t believe the United States could handle it, it likely wouldn’t have made such a massive financial commitment,” she added.

Currently, Apple manufactures the majority of its devices in China and India. While the idea of relocating production outside of China has been a topic of serious consideration, the practical challenges of doing so in the U.S. have proven to be formidable.

One key example, surprisingly, lies in a basic but critical component: screws. This issue first came to light in a 2019 report by The New York Times, which revealed that Apple once attempted to manufacture its Mac Pro entirely in the U.S.—a project that quickly ran into trouble.

The report cited three sources familiar with the matter who said that Apple’s manufacturing partner in Austin, Texas, struggled to secure enough of the specialized screws required for Mac Pro assembly. Local contractors could only produce about 1,000 screws per day, far short of Apple’s needs, ultimately delaying the product’s launch by several months.

In contrast, China offered a more streamlined solution. There, Apple could rely on a robust network of suppliers capable of producing custom screws in massive quantities and on short notice—highlighting the critical advantage of China’s manufacturing ecosystem.

This seemingly minor issue serves as a broader illustration of the significant hurdles Apple would face if it attempted to relocate its production lines outside of China. According to The New York Times, the country provides Apple with everything it needs to produce its devices efficiently: from skilled labor and well-established infrastructure to unmatched scalability and cost-effectiveness.

While political rhetoric and financial incentives may continue to encourage American manufacturing, the technical and logistical realities behind Apple’s supply chain show that the road to U.S.-based production is anything but simple.