Apple said to explore MacBook production in Thailand to cut supply chain reliance on China amid decoupling with US
- The US gadget giant is reportedly discussing with contractors the possibility of producing some parts for its laptops in Thailand
- Apple has accelerated plans to make more MacBooks outside China, once the only country that made the computers
Apple is reportedly exploring manufacturing some MacBooks in Thailand, a move that underscores the urgency of the US tech giant’s push to reduce its reliance on China-based factories amid growing geopolitical tensions, analysts said.
The Cupertino, California-based firm is discussing with contractors the possibility of assembling and producing some parts and modules for its laptops in the Southeast Asian nation, according to a report on Thursday by Nikkei Asia, citing three anonymous suppliers involved in those talks.
Apple has already been producing its Apple Watch in Thailand for over a year, the report said.
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Despite ongoing tension between Washington and Beijing, Apple had for years kept MacBook production exclusively in China, a sign of the country’s importance to the company’s supply chain.
“Supply chain diversification remains a core objective for Apple, and we should expect it to persist into the foreseeable future,” said William Yuen Yee, a research assistant at the Columbia-Harvard China and the World Programme.
“Covid-related restrictions and lockdowns in China accelerated this trend, and rising geopolitical tensions kicked it into a higher gear, ” he said. “While its supply chains won’t completely shift overnight, the move highlights Apple’s continued awareness of the risks posed by excessive dependence on China.”
