KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 -- Apple iPhones could cost as much as a car if US President Donald Trump persists with his "reciprocal" tariffs on Chinese goods, warned Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Aziz.

In an Instagram post yesterday, Tengku Zafrul said such a policy would cause a seismic shift to global trade, with ripple effects on Malaysian exports and consumer goods.

The minister noted analyst predictions that an iPhone made entirely in the US could cost up to US$3,500 (RM16,000), from the current US$549.

"But when prices go up in the US, other countries are also affected. This is because iPhone prices globally are benchmarked against the US," he explained.

Aside from unaffordable iPhones, Tengku Zafru...