Remember when Apple Inc. (AAPL) had to play a complicated game of tariff hopscotch during the Trump administration? Well, grab your scorecards again, because the game just got a whole lot more confusing.

The tech giant, which faced significant uncertainty from tariffs that soared above 40% for imports from China and Vietnam, had seemingly found its footing. It shifted some production to India for lower rates, and CEO Tim Cook personally lobbied the former president on trade. The White House even granted certain exclusions, protecting Apple's crucial iPhone margins from the worst of the duty hikes.

But on Friday, the United States Supreme Court ruled against those very tariffs. The legal victory, however, was followed by a swift and sweeping countermove: a new 10% tariff on all global imports, quickly raised to 15% on Saturday.

Here's the twist for Apple. While the new 15% rate is lower than some of the punishing rates it faced before, it's a blanket tariff. That means no more category exclusions. The special deals Apple negotiated or benefited from? Gone. Every import gets the same treatment.

"We believe AAPL will continue to navigate this complex tariff situation in a game of negotiations with the Trump Administration," Wedbush analyst Dan Ives has said previously.

And navigate it must. Apple now faces a double dose of uncertainty: what happens to the tariffs already collected under the now-ruled-illegal policy, and how long will this new 15% global rate stick around? The move could be temporary, but in the meantime, Cook and his team may need to dust off their lobbying playbook and head back to Washington.

Ives has famously noted that Cook's job description has changed amid these battles, shifting from being "10% politician and 90% CEO" to a new mix of "25% politician and 75% CEO." The analyst has even suggested that Cook's ability to steer Apple through these supply chain storms could be his "Hall of Fame moment" for his legacy at the company.

But the Supreme Court's ruling has thrown a wrench into everyone's plans. Ives calls it the "confusion zone."

"SCOTUS tariff ruling puts global trade negotiations/deals into ‘confusion zone,'" Ives said in a new investor note. He explained that the ruling has left trading partners, countries, companies, and entire supply chains scratching their heads about what comes next.

"We have heard from many global tech companies that are trying to figure out the new normal and what tariff policy will be going forward?" Ives said. Companies are now questioning their supply chain operations and whether to move production from one country to another—again.

"Welcome to navigating tariffs in 2026 for trading partners of the U.S. and from our vantage point how this will impact tech companies cemented in the Asia supply chain," he added.

The initial reaction to the Supreme Court decision was a sigh of relief for some, Ives noted, as it removed the "biggest wild card" of an illegal policy. But that relief was short-lived. The 15% global tariffs announced over the weekend have replaced one uncertainty with another, arguably broader one.

This new uncertainty has companies like Apple and Nvidia (NVDA), which made major investment commitments in the United States, questioning what happens next. Ives says more clarity is needed from the administration in the coming months.

Despite the swirling confusion, Ives maintained an Outperform rating on Apple stock with a price target of $350. For now, Apple's story remains one of a corporate giant dancing to an unpredictable political tune, trying to keep its supply chain—and its profits—in step.