“We are bullish on the future of American innovation, and we’re proud to build on our long-standing U.S. investments with this $500 billion commitment to our country’s future,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, in a statement.

The iPhone maker’s announcement underscores how tech giants are trying to forge a closer relationship with President Trump as his second administration imposes new tariffs on China — where Apple manufactures its products — and shapes policies on artificial intelligence.

Apple’s pledge to expand manufacturing in the United States came after Cook met with Trump last week. In a speech to governors in the White House, Trump said that Apple was planning to “build here instead because they don’t want to pay the tariffs.”

Earlier this month, Trump imposed a 10% tariff on imports from China. Citing concerns about illegal immigration and drug trafficking, he also announced tariffs against Canada and Mexico but then said they would be paused for 30 days.

Apple said that workers at the new factory in Texas will produce servers for Apple Intelligence, an AI system that can help people write, proofread text and complete other tasks. The 250,000-square-foot facility is expected to open in 2026 in Houston.

The 20,000 new jobs it plans to hire for will mostly focus on research and development, silicon engineering, AI and machine learning, the Cupertino, Calif.-based company said.

It’s also doubling its spending on a fund that supports advanced manufacturing and skills development from $5 billion to $10 billion. The company previously announced the U.S. advanced manufacturing fund during Trump’s first term in 2017.

Apple said in addition to the plant in Houston, it plans to expand in other states including California, Michigan, Arizona, Nevada, Iowa, Oregon, North Carolina and Washington.

Those expansion plans include investments in data centers, its facilities and skills development for students and workers. At a manufacturing facility in Arizona, Apple said it will spend heavily to produce advanced silicon that is used in its devices. In Detroit, the company said it’s opening a manufacturing academy that will offer free courses online and in person. Apple engineers will team up with university experts to help small- and medium-sized businesses implement AI and manufacturing methods.

Other leading tech companies have also touted new investments in the wake of Trump’s election. Meta announced it was planning to build the world’s longest undersea cable to expand high-speed internet access globally. In Trump’s first week in office, OpenAI, Oracle and Softbank announced a $500-billion investment over four years in computing infrastructure to power AI.

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If the proposal is approved by the State Legislature, California would offer more money to entice film productions than any state except Georgia, which provides unlimited tax credits. California’s existing program is capped at $330 million annually. The increase would go into effect on July 1, 2025.

“California is the entertainment capital of the world, rooted in decades of creativity, innovation and unparalleled talent,” Mr. Newsom said in a statement. “Expanding this program will help keep production here at home, generate thousands of good-paying jobs, and strengthen the vital link between our communities and the state’s iconic film and TV industry.”

In recent weeks, state economic development officials and entertainment executives in Los Angeles have publicly expressed concern over the persistent slump in film production, begging officials to do more to keep film shoots in the state.

Over the past 20 years, states have aggressively wooed Hollywood, offering movie and television productions more than $25 billion in filming incentives, according to a survey by The New York Times. Thirty-eight states offer some form of incentive, including Georgia, which has extended more than $5 billion in film tax credits since 2015, and New York, which has provided at least $7 billion in credits.

Officials in California, who have seen Hollywood productions flock to other states and last year witnessed lengthy strikes by writers and actors, have dedicated more than $3 billion to retain film productions in that time frame. But state officials say that the $330 million annual limit is reached quickly and that productions have learned to look elsewhere.

California’s budget has been significantly stretched, with state finance officials projecting a shortfall next year. But Mr. Newsom’s proposal is likely to receive significant backing from organized labor, a powerful state lobby, and from the governor’s fellow Democrats, who hold a supermajority of legislative seats. Legislators easily passed a five-year extension of the existing film tax credit program last year.

Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles, who championed the tax credit program in 2009, when she was speaker of the California Assembly, said that expanding the incentive had been at the top of the priority list for entertainment industry leaders. Los Angeles, she said, “still has not recovered from the strike.”

Colleen Bell, executive director of the California Film Commission, said she had experienced a wave of relief when she heard of the governor’s proposal.

“We’re losing our market share and there’s no reason,” she said in an interview. “Production companies are just seeking these tax credits. It’s not enough anymore just to be the state with the best crews and the best weather and the best locations.”

It is unclear how far tax incentives will go to address show business worries in California. Lost production has been only one disruption among many, including the aftermath of crippling shutdowns during the coronavirus pandemic and the threat of job losses because of technological changes such as artificial intelligence.

Data released last week by FilmLA, the official film office of the City and County of Los Angeles, indicated that the 5,048 “shoot days” recorded in the Los Angeles area in the three-month period that ended on Sept. 30 lagged even the 5,311 figure from the same period in 2023, when a screenwriters strike contributed to a shutdown of many television and film productions.

Government officials say that tax incentives for film and television productions trickle down to local economies. Creating movie magic requires electricians, hair stylists and other types of skilled workers. Money is also spent on hotels, dry cleaning and dining out.

Economists have largely voiced skepticism, warning that states receive a poor return on such investments. Studies have shown that tax revenue generated by film incentive programs amounts to a quarter, or even a dime, of every dollar invested, and in some cases each job created can cost taxpayers more than $100,000.

A 2023 report from the New York State of Department of Taxation and Finance found that the return on its incentive program, which has an annual cap of $700 million, was between 15 cents and 31 cents on the dollar. “The film production credit is at best a break-even proposition and more likely a net cost” to the state, the report said.

Joseph Chianese, a senior vice president and production incentives practice leader at Entertainment Partners, a Hollywood management firm, said in a statement that California’s existing $330 million annual cap could put it at a competitive disadvantage when other states and countries have higher limits.

“Producers prioritize stability in incentives, especially in terms of legislative consistency, transparent processes and reliable funding,” he said.

“Nonetheless,” he added, “California remains a vital hub with unmatched crew expertise, infrastructure and leadership in industry technology development, which remains an attractive option for many producers.”

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Assemblymember Corey Jackson, a Moreno Valley Democrat, is proposing an electric vehicle opportunity zone in the area, to expand training and education programs for EV technicians and engineers.

The bill could benefit car mechanics who build and maintain the vehicles, electricians and welders who make charging stations to power them, and software developers who design programs to run the cars. The bill would also offer business loans, tax credits, and grants to EV manufacturers.

“We’re trying to mimic what California did for Tesla, to get other people in the game,” Jackson said. “And to make sure those resources are centered in lower income and middle class communities, not just Silicon Valley or large urban areas.”

The bill passed the Assembly in May and survived the Senate appropriations committee last week, but must win final approval in the Legislature by Aug. 31 to reach the governor’s desk. Startup costs would be at least $4.5 million with $1.2 million in annual expenses after that, according to the bill analysis, making it trickier to pass amid the state’s $47 billion budget deficit.

Jackson and the bill’s supporters maintain it’s a sound investment. Creating well-paid trade and technical jobs is a high priority for leaders in the Inland Empire, a region known as a warehouse center and bedroom community. Local engineering students and other university graduates often commute several hours to work in coastal counties, or leave the region entirely.

The opportunity zone “will help to keep these educated people in the region because there will be jobs for them,” Jackson said.

The biggest beneficiary, at least initially, could be a luxury EV maker.

The precise boundaries of the opportunity zone are yet to be determined, but Jackson said it would likely fall in Moreno Valley, home to Karma Automotive, which has produced 1,000 vehicles so far, at prices starting at $147,000 and reaching $500,000.

These aren’t the commuter cars that will get California to its goal of transitioning all new vehicles to zero emissions by 2035. But Karma President Marques McCammon said its vehicles serve as proof of concept for technology that can eventually be deployed by bigger automakers.

“The easiest way to de-risk new technologies is to release them into markets that have a higher tolerance for risks,” he said.

In other words, customers who can afford an upscale EV will, in effect, test drive new technology. Then other car manufacturers can scale that up to build tens of thousands of electric cars at lower prices.

“I can help my business and shareholders, and also be a support system and a learning laboratory for the broader industry,” McCammon said.

Moreno Valley Mayor Pro Tem Cheylynda Barnard, who’s also executive director of the Inland Empire Labor and Community Center, said the city is rooting for the bill.

“Moreno Valley is ripe with talent and getting this type of innovation in the city would be helpful in creating jobs and opportunities,” she said.

There’s already an automotive hybrid and EV training program at Riverside City College, where students can earn certificates or associate degrees. Jackson’s bill would extend internships and apprenticeships to more students and encourage other EV automakers to locate in the region, said Riverside Community College District Trustee Keri Then.

“While our students are completing certificates or apprenticeships or degree programs they earn while they learn, so they graduate with near zero debt for their experience,” she said.

The EV zone would support skilled trade workers, along with engineers and scientists, creating pipelines for well-paid jobs that don’t require four-year degrees, Jackson said.

“This generation wants to know what they are going to get for spending so much time and money for their education,” he said. “We want to make sure that people know that if you choose this pathway, there’s a job waiting for you. There’s a profession waiting for you.”

For McCammon, the car business is a life-long pursuit. He said he grew up playing with the golden wrench his grandfather received as a Chrysler mechanic. McCammon later earned undergraduate and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering, before working as an engineer and executive at Chrysler and other firms. He hopes to guide Inland Empire students down the same path.

“I want to see more female engineers and technicians,” McCammon said. “I want to see more Blacks and Latinos. I want another generation coming into our industry.”

Jackson’s bill notes that a Riverside County opportunity zone would be a model for other EV hubs around the state. But California will need a broader approach to meet its zero emissions goals, said Orville Thomas, CEO of the California Mobility Center, a Sacramento organization with similar goals of promoting clean technology and transportation.

“I hope we’re not just saying each county has to do their own opportunity zone,” he said. “I hope the state looks at it and says we’re going to do a statewide system that accelerates zero emissions manufacturing.”

But as a starting point Riverside County is a good site for an EV hub, with its proximity to Salton Sea lithium deposits needed for battery production, Thomas said.

Riverside County has a bit of a split personality when it comes to sustainability. It’s a center for lithium mining and other alternative energy projects such as wind and solar farms. Yet Riverside and neighboring San Bernardino County consistently rank among the worst in the nation for ozone and particulate air pollution. Establishing an EV hub won’t immediately fix that, but it could move the needle.

“When the state reaches its climate goals, then the Inland Empire is going to benefit from that,” Jackson said. “The Inland Empire… continues to be one of the fastest growing regions in the state. If we are not buying and transitioning to electric vehicles, then the state as a whole won’t.”

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