Apple seeks to diversify its manufacturing beyond Chinaand he is interested in the country’s neighbors.
Apple CEO Tim Cook met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Wednesday, telling reporters after the meeting that iPhone maker will ‘consider’ bringing manufacturing into the country.
“We’ve talked about the president’s desire to see manufacturing in the country and that’s something we’ll look at,” Cook said in comments reported by CNBC. “I think the investment capacity in Indonesia is endless. I think there are many interesting places to invest. And we invest. We believe in the country.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
China’s Foxconn is the world’s largest iPhone manufacturing site, but strict COVID-19 restrictions have caused a large number of workers to leave in November 2022 – disrupting iPhone production. Foxconn workers staged violent protests at the factory over wages and working conditions during the lockdown. Since then, Apple has made efforts to diversify its supply chain in order to other factories in China and Taiwanand is also looking at India and Vietnam.
Apple currently produces 14%, or about 1 in 7, of its iPhones in Indiaand manufactured $14 billion worth of iPhones in the country last fiscal year, Bloomberg reports.
Earlier this week, Cook met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and said Apple wants to invest in more Vietnamese suppliers.
“Today, Apple announced it will increase spending with its suppliers in Vietnam, as well as further progress on an initiative to support clean water for local schools,” Apple said. in a statement reported by Reuters.
Foxconn expanded its investments in Vietnam last year with $300 million.
