Apple to Move iPad Production Out of China

For the first time in history, Apple is shifting components of its product manufacture out of China. According to Nikkei Asia, is shifting the manufacture of various iPad components from Chinese facilities to Vietnam. Apple is said to have moved some iPad manufacturers out of the East Asian country due to supply chain issues and unstable manufacturing schedules.

This will be the first time in the company’s history that it will pull even a portion of its manufacturing infrastructure out of China, where it has made its entire line of products for decades. According to the South China Morning Post, Apple Inc.’s primary supplier, Foxconn Technology Group, suspended operations at two of its plants in Kunshan, eastern China, after additional COVID-19 cases were discovered on the premises.

This isn’t Foxconn’s first stoppage; the business is constrained by Chinese pandemic safety laws, which are frequently among the most stringent in the world. Government mandates frequently cause operations to be halted, with workers being restricted to their dorms for lengthy periods of time. Shenzhen, a major port city known as China’s “Silicon Valley,” is continuing to pursue a proactive zero-COVID agenda. Foxconn, Tencent, and Huawei are all based in Shenzhen.

Despite its reputation as a liberal and progressive firm, Apple continues to repress domestic unionization efforts. Workers at the shop in Atlanta’s Cumberland Mall have dropped their proposal for a union election this week. After more than 70% of the location’s more than 100 eligible employees signed union authorization cards, the employees petitioned the National Labor Relations Board for a union election in April. The Communications Workers of America was seeking representation for the group, which included Apple salesmen, technicians, creatives, and operations specialists.