Some two decades ago, it was Tim Cook who spearheaded Apple’s move to make products “Designed in California,” but “Assembled in China.” It worked marvelously well, until it didn’t.
Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:
One of the signature achievements of Cook’s career at Apple has been his work crafting its relationship to China, which is unusually positive compared with those of other US tech companies. Over more than two decades, Apple has built a vast manufacturing and assembly operation in the country involving thousands of business partners.
But Apple’s China formula is under its greatest strain in recent memory. Even as Cook was smoothing things over in Beijing [in late March], Apple executives were hard at work developing ties to other countries to lessen reliance on the country, according to multiple people familiar with Apple’s operations who spoke on the condition of anonymity, since they’re not authorized to speak publicly.
Apple’s diversification efforts took on urgency during heightened trade tensions between the US and China under the Trump administration and then intensified during the pandemic…
Apple’s efforts center on India as a location for production of iPhones and accessories, Vietnam for AirPods and Mac assembly, Malaysia for some Mac production, and Ireland — where suppliers currently build the relatively easy-to-produce iMacs — for a range of simpler products. Managers in Apple’s operations department have instructed employees to focus on sourcing additional components and locating production lines outside China for more new products coming in 2024, though the company also plans to retain extensive operations in the country.
Apple’s leadership is concerned that China might retaliate if it moves too much capacity to other countries, or transitions too rapidly. Customers in China could turn against US-designed products amid heightened nationalism.
MacDailyNews Take: The “plan” seems to be: Work on finally diversifying production out of China while making it look to everyone (especially the CCP) like China is Apple’s No.1 partner and top priority until it isn’t. 🤞🏻
See also: Tim Cook firmly latched Apple onto China’s CCP teat. What’s his plan for weaning it off? – November 2, 2022
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They have learned nothing. They are going to Vietnam, another hostile commie s—hole, and India, who just signed up with china and Russia to no longer use the US dollar and want to destroy the US as well.
Apple should build production in Germany, Mexico, Brazil and most importantly, in the US. It needs to diversify into places that are not openly hostile to America. Apple and cook have learned absolutely nothing.
Failures at business 101, diversification.
Tim Sook the Crook is no longer a Chow Mein Cook who does is all by the Book – he’s now just Tim Took, I mean Look, what a Dook head.
This is why I sold my Apple stock. It is doing great until it drops to zero when the CCP decides to make their move for world domination.
Schmluss is a schm…uck. He’s not from the US but the UK. Uck!
This is interesting and very telling, I didn’t realize it was Tim himself that spearheaded the move to partner with the CCP 20 years ago. I always gave him a pass on Apple’s decision to work so closely with China.I just figured he inherited the problem but now it’s looking like he is the actual mastermind. This is very revealing since his other major initiative at Apple is promoting ethnic minority equity in the USA. Kinda wonder how he squares the “social justice” needed in the USA with CCPs treatment of ethic minorities. What if Apple’s public relations campaign to move production out of China is just smoke and mirrors ? Maybe Apple isn’t really moving out of China but instead just somewhat slowing the rate of new production growth buy moving a small percentage of new production in other locations. Has Apple actually lowered production in China ? or has the rate continued to increase while they dupe us.
Tim Cook is a social warrior for ice. Just ice. He thinks himself as cool as ice, that’s why Tim Cook is for Social Just Ice.