Next year’s MacBooks, iPads could be made in Vietnam

Apple CEO Tim Cook with a line of M2 Macs at the Steve Jobs Theatre at WWDC 2022.

Apple and its partners are working furiously to transform the supply and manufacturing chain to become less dependent on China, which is why a report claiming Apple plans to move some of its MacBook (and iPad) production to Vietnam seems credible.

Designed by Apple in Cupertino. Manufactured in Vietnam

Foxconn will begin manufacturing Macs in Vietnam as soon as May, according to Nikkei Asia. This is just the latest episode in a series of shows while Apple continues to diversify its manufacturing base to become more resilient to political tension, disease and more.

With this move the report claims Apple will now have one manufacturing location for each one of its main products situated outside China. That’s important as it means the company is well on the way to building the kind of resilience in its supply chain most consumer electronics companies have sought to build since the pandemic struck.

This diversification is important, too, given that Apple makes between 20-24 million MacBooks each year and has, apparently, been building up its ties with Vietnam for the last couple of years. Foxconn now has a license to build a $270 million plant for manufacturing MacBooks – and also iPads.

Up to 8 million units capacity

The factory will be able to build 8 million units a year, and Vietnam is also home to some Apple Watch and HomePod production. Around 65% of AirPods will also be manufactured in Vietnam by 2025, JP Morgan has said.

[Also read: Apple in talks to close unused Russian office space]

The factory is in Bac Giang Province and is expected to employ around 30,000 workers. Vietnam is also a highly successful emerging market for Apple, with iPhones in particular demand.

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