“Pressed by President Donald Trump, Apple Inc. suddenly faces new pressure to build factories in the U.S., something it hasn’t done for years and has shown no signs of wanting to do,” Tripp Mickle reports for The Wall Street Journal. “Mr. Trump’s statement that Apple plans to build three big plants in the U.S. has rekindled scrutiny of the company’s policy of outsourcing of almost all of its manufacturing to contractor factories overseas—mainly in China. Mr. Trump had needled the iPhone maker over that issue during the 2016 presidential campaign. He had said little about it publicly since taking office, however, until an interview Tuesday with The Wall Street Journal, in which he said Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook had told him the company planned to build the plants in the U.S.”
“The pressure threatened to grow on Apple with the announcement Wednesday by the head of Foxconn Technology Group, Apple’s largest contract manufacturer, that it plans to invest $10 billion in a display-panel factory in Wisconsin. Foxconn made the announcement at a White House ceremony with Mr. Trump. A senior White House official told reporters the plant wasn’t among the three potential Apple facilities to which the president had referred,” Mickle reports. “The episode is the latest example of the complex relations between the White House, which is pushing to rebuild U.S. manufacturing, and corporate America, which for years has been adding more jobs overseas.”
“Apple today has only one plant of its own—in Cork, Ireland,” Mickle reports. “Its contract manufacturers operate two small U.S. plants, in Austin, Texas and Fremont, Calif. Those facilities have never grown beyond their narrow role making Apple’s Mac Pro computer, a niche product that sells for $3,000 or more.”
MacDailyNews Take: And which, at this point, sells in the tens of units per week. There’s a lot of free time for whoever’s left at the Austin Mac Pro factory, let’s just say.
“Mr. Cook, who is as reserved and tight-lipped as the president is freewheeling and outspoken, has sought to engage the administration on manufacturing and other issues. He met privately with Mr. Trump in December and dined in January with administration advisers Ivanka Trump the president’s daughter, and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law,” Mickle reports. “Apple announced a $1 billion fund in May to put money into advanced manufacturing in the U.S. It later invested $200 million in a Corning Inc. glass-making plant in Harrodsburg, Ky. ”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take:
Pressure pushing down on me
Pressing down on you, no man ask for
Under pressure that burns a building down
Splits a family in two
Puts people on streetsIt’s the terror of knowing
What this world is about
Watching some good friends
Screaming, “Let me out!”
Tomorrow gets me higher
Pressure on people – people on streetsChippin’ around, kick my brains ’round the floor
These are the days – it never rains but it pours
People on streets – people on streetsIt’s the terror of knowing
What this world is about
Watching some good friends
Screaming, “Let me out!”
Tomorrow gets me higher, higher, higher…
Pressure on people – people on streetsTurned away from it all like a blind man
Sat on a fence but it don’t work
Keep coming up with love but it’s so slashed and torn
Why, why, why?Love
Insanity laughs under pressure we’re cracking
Can’t we give ourselves one more chance?
Why can’t we give love that one more chance?
Why can’t we give love, give love, give love, give love, give love, give love, give love, give love?..‘Cause love’s such an old-fashioned word
And love dares you to care for
The people on the edge of the night
And love dares you to change our way of
Caring about ourselves
This is our last dance
This is our last dance
This is ourselves
Under pressure
Under pressure
Pressure— David Bowie, Frederick Mercury, Roger Meddows Taylor, Brian Harold May, and John Richard Deacon
SEE ALSO:
President Trump announces Apple supplier Foxconn’s $10 billion investment in Wisconsin and up to 13,000 jobs – July 27, 2017
President Trump to announce Apple-supplier Foxconn manufacturing plant in Wisconsin today at 5pm EDT – July 26, 2017
Apple supplier Foxconn nearing decision to build plant in Wisconsin to produce display panels – July 25, 2017
Made in America iPhones, after all? Apple supplier Foxconn considering iPhone plant in Wisconsin – June 15, 2017
China Premier Li visits Apple supplier Foxconn after CEO’s meeting with President Trump – May 10, 2017
Apple’s top manufacturing partner to meet with U.S. President Trump today – April 27, 2017
Apple could help Westinghouse in completing new nuclear plants – April 17, 2017
Apple may bid for big stake in Toshiba – April 17, 2017
Apple supplier Sharp may begin building $7 billion U.S. plant in within months as Japan PM meets President Trump – February 8, 2017
Foxconn-Sharp considering LCD plant in USA, plans in response to President-elect Trump’s ‘Make in America’ call – January 13, 2017
With President Trump soon to take office, Apple looks to boost its ‘Made in America’ credentials – January 10, 2017
Make America Insanely Great Again: Apple seeks to expand Made in USA manufacturing – January 9, 2017
Apple invests $1 billion in SoftBank’s massive tech fund; may help company get in President Trump’s good graces – January 4, 2017
Apple in talks to invest $1 billion in SoftBank tech fund – December 13, 2016
Softbank to invest $50 billion in the U.S., create 50,000 new tech jobs after meeting with President-elect Trump – and Apple supplier Foxconn is in on the deal – December 6, 2016
President-elect Trump invites tech leaders to roundtable in Manhattan next week – December 6, 2016
President-elect Trump tells Apple CEO Tim Cook that he’d like to see Apple make products in the U.S. – November 23, 2016
President-elect Trump says Apple CEO Tim Cook called him after election victory – November 22, 2016
Apple could make iPhones in the U.S.A. under President Trump, sources say – November 17, 2016
Japan’s Softbank just became one of Apple’s most important suppliers – July 18, 2016