Is the US going to ban some iPhones? Alarm raised over Chinese manufacturer's violation of "trade secrets"

Apple is having a tough time in the United States . Tim Cook's company has been going through a difficult time since Donald Trump imposed his famous tariffs, considering that Big Tech has multiplied its presence in India to avoid the imposed tariffs and increase its mobile inventory in the United States.

Since then, Apple has not only been 'forced' to raise the cost of manufacturing iPhones by $300 and increase the selling price , but also to implement new measures to avoid customs duties, one of which was the decision to transport 600 tons of Apple phones from India to the United States . In addition, in response to these rulings to minimize the impact of the tariffs, Trump stated that he does not want Apple to continue producing iPhones in India . However, the lack of labor, suppliers, and facilities complicates manufacturing in the United States.

As if Apple weren’t already facing enough problems, it has recently been revealed that some iPhone models could be banned in the United States . According to ETNews , a preliminary ruling by the U.S. International Trade Commission has found that Chinese display manufacturer BOE has violated U.S. Customs Tariffs by misappropriating Samsung Display’s confidential OLED technology , resulting in a ban on OLED panel imports to the United States, including a cease and desist order.

This decision prevents BOE from selling its current inventories or supplying future shipments to US assemblers , so the US International Trade Commission's ruling could seriously affect iPhones.

These are the affected iPhones

Some iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, and iPhone 16e models are equipped with OLED displays manufactured by BOE. Furthermore, according to the specialized newspaper MacRumors , several of these phones are likely to remain on the market after the launch of the new iPhone 17 , which could pose a challenge to Apple if the International Trade Commission's ruling is upheld. Therefore, in that case, Cook's company would be forced to redirect models with BOE screens to other markets and ensure that phones sold in the United States use components from other suppliers.

On the other hand, it is still unclear whether the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air will include BOE displays , considering that, currently, this Chinese manufacturer only supplies Apple with displays that do not use the most advanced low-temperature polycrystalline oxide technology, but that offer a variable refresh rate that those in Cupertino market as 'ProMotion'.

BOE plans to supply LTPO displays to Apple for the first time this year , exclusively for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models sold in China. However, Apple reportedly plans to limit the use of these panels , as they fall short of the company's required performance standards for LTPO technology.

However, despite these restrictions, BOE is significantly accelerating the expansion of its OLED display production capacity, aiming to position itself as a key supplier for future generations of the iPhone and thus regain a significant role within Apple's supply chain.

Apple could say goodbye to BOE screens

The ITC's Office of Unfair Import Investigations in December 2024 endorsed a preliminary recommendation supporting Samsung's complaint against BOE, accusing it of illegally using its OLED technology .

Samsung initiated the lawsuit in October 2023 and expanded the lawsuit in April 2025 in a US court, seeking monetary compensation. If the US International Trade Commission issues a final ruling in November 2025 , Apple could be forced to replace BOE as the supplier of OLED displays in the US, benefiting Samsung and LG. The US president will have 60 days after that ruling to approve or veto it.

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