In early April, Apple moved more than 1.5 million iPhones on five chartered flights from India and China to the U.S. — all within three days. Why? To beat a new 10% tariff deadline and protect its bottom line without hiking retail prices according to The Times of India publication.
That’s world-class strategic agility. But it’s also a perfect reminder: what works for Apple could cost another company millions.
One Strategy, Two Different Outcomes
Apple’s last-minute move made financial sense because iPhones are:
- High-value
- Low-weight
- Compact in volume
Even with the massive cost of air freight, the per-unit margin on an iPhone justifies it. Air shipping helped Apple avoid tariff hikes while keeping shelves stocked and prices stable.
But that same tactic? It would crush a beverage company.
Drinks are:
- Low-margin
- Heavy
- Bulky
For CPG companies in beverages, air shipping isn’t a shortcut — it’s a financial disaster. In most cases, the cost of air freight exceeds even the new implemented tariffs.
What Actually Moves the Needle for Beverage Companies?
Instead of airlifting product, beverage companies should be thinking about:
- Relocating bottling plants closer to end-markets
- Reengineering packaging to reduce volume
- Balancing production vs. tariff costs across countries
- Outsourcing non-core logistics to partners with preferential trade access
These are hard, deeply financial questions — not marketing ones.
Enter CREI: Your Strategic Supply Chain Advisor
CREI helps companies across industries — especially CPG and beverage — make supply chain decisions that are grounded in financial truth, not trends.
We help you model:
- Tariff vs. freight tradeoffs
- Co-manufacturing vs. direct control
- Local vs. international bottling cost breakdowns
- Custom-built ROI models for every shift in your supply chain
Because while Apple can fly a phone halfway around the world and come out ahead…
you might just need to move your filler line 200 miles to boost profits.
Bottom Line
Strategy without financial clarity is just guesswork.
At CREI, we turn trade chaos into profit clarity. Book a session with our team and get a real model — before you make a real move.
Want to see how supply chain changes could grow (or shrink) your bottom line?
→ Connect with CREI.
The right move is rarely obvious — until you run the numbers.
