A new U.S.-based Apple and Foxconn factory could create 30,000 to 50,000 American jobs, claims Foxconn chairman Terry Gou.
Foxconn and Apple may team up to build a new $7 billion facility in the United States, dedicated to manufacturing displays for future iOS devices, according to Gou.
President Donald Trump has made a big point about bringing manufacturing jobs back to the U.S.
Tim Cook previously claimed that China makes a lot more sense as a manufacturing hub for Apple — not just because labor costs are significantly less, but because of the country’s great number of skilled workers, too. This backed up an infamous Steve Jobs’ assertion from 2010. When answering a question from President Barack Obama about the shuttering of U.S. factories in favor of overseas production, Jobs said, “Those jobs aren’t coming back.”
However, Foxconn’s Gou now says that in this instance, it makes more sense to produce displays in the United States because it would save on shipping from China to the U.S. market.
He also said Foxconn is planning a molding facility in the United States, and that Pennsylvania might be the location.
Despite the possibility of Foxconn embracing U.S. manufacturing, though, Gou has gone to lengths to restate his commitment to Chinese manufacturing. Last week, another report claimed that Foxconn is planning a new prototyping facility in Shenzhen, China. This will “better help Apple create prototypes” for future products, while tightening up on security.
Source: Nikkei Asian Review