According to the Washington Post on Thursday, which cited two people familiar with the conversation, Apple CEO Tim Cook discussed the possible effects of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on iPhone prices with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick last week.
Trump provided some respite for IT companies like Apple, HP, and Dell this week by granting tariff exceptions to laptops, smartphones, and a few other goods that are primarily imported from China.
According to the Post, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro had favored keeping the taxes in place.
Apple declined to comment when contacted by Reuters, while Dell and HP did not immediately respond.