Apple plans to produce MacBooks in Vietnam for the first time in 2023 Foxconn OEM

IT House reported on December 20 that in August this year, it was reported that Apple was negotiating to produce Apple Watch and MacBook in Vietnam for the first time. According to Nikkei, Apple will start producing Macbooks in Vietnam in mid-2023.

Foxconn, Apple’s largest supplier, began producing MacBooks in the Southeast Asian country as early as around May, people familiar with the matter said. Apple has been working hard to diversify its supply chain, but it took longer to move MacBook production because of the more complex supply chain needed to make laptops.

“After the transfer of MacBook production, basically all of Apple’s flagship products will have an additional production base outside of China… For example, India has iPhones and MacBooks, and Vietnam has Apple Watches and iPads,” the source said.

IT Home learned that Apple currently produces about 20 million to 24 million MacBooks per year, and its production bases are mainly located in Chengdu, Sichuan Province and Shanghai in China.

In June, Apple shifted some iPad production from China to Vietnam for the first time in its history, affected by strict outbreak controls in and around Shanghai. In May of this year, Apple CEO Cook said in response to the issue of bringing more Vietnamese companies into the Apple industry chain that Apple is interested in cooperating with Vietnamese manufacturers that meet the company’s standards.

Apple did not respond to Nikkei Asia’s request for comment. Foxconn declined to comment.