"Tim has a very good relationship with the president and rightly so. He has been playing a very careful role in that he obviously has a huge dependency on China but is also hugely important to the U.S." — Former Trump Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross

Read More WashPo: It was Apple's Tim Cook who got the China tariffs lifted

A person who works closely with Apple’s suppliers, who was not authorized to discuss their plans publicly, said the suppliers were hoping to ramp up production so India could make 30 percent of the world’s iPhones.

Read More Why India may not come through for Apple