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posted by janrinok on Tuesday January 29 2019, @11:45AM   Printer-friendly
from the screwed! dept.

Submitted via IRC for SoyCow1984

A Tiny Screw Shows Why iPhones Won't Be 'Assembled in U.S.A.'

In China, you will also find one of Apple's most important markets, and over the last month the risks that come with that dependence have become apparent. On Jan. 2, Apple said it would miss earnings expectations for the first time in 16 years, mostly because of slowing iPhone sales in China. On Tuesday, the company is expected to reveal more details about its financial results for the most recent quarter and its forecast for the coming year.

In 2012, Apple's chief executive, Timothy D. Cook, went on prime-time television to announce that Apple would make a Mac computer in the United States. It would be the first Apple product in years to be manufactured by American workers, and the top-of-the-line Mac Pro would come with an unusual inscription: "Assembled in USA."

But when Apple began making the $3,000 computer in Austin, Tex., it struggled to find enough screws, according to three people who worked on the project and spoke on the condition of anonymity because of confidentiality agreements.

In China, Apple relied on factories that can produce vast quantities of custom screws on short notice. In Texas, where they say everything is bigger, it turned out the screw suppliers were not.

Tests of new versions of the computer were hamstrung because a 20-employee machine shop that Apple's manufacturing contractor was relying on could produce at most 1,000 screws a day.

The company could face more financial pressure if the Trump administration places tariffs on phones made in China — something the president has threatened to do.


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  • (Score: 2, Flamebait) by realDonaldTrump on Tuesday January 29 2019, @01:46PM (1 child)

    by realDonaldTrump (6614) on Tuesday January 29 2019, @01:46PM (#793534) Homepage Journal

    Don't give me this @NYTimes [twitter.com] Baloney telling me, Apple can't make tiny screws. Apple is a Trillion Dollar Company. With massive, massive Coffers. Because of our historic Tax cuts, Apple is investing $350 billion in the United States. They’re bringing $240 billion back. $240 billion. They’re going to pay a tax of $38 billion. But they’re going to invest a total of $350 billion. For $350 billion, they’re going to build a lot of plants. And this would have never happened without us and the work you’ve done. And they’re hiring 20,000 workers, by the way. This is what Tim Cook promised me. Tim, make your products in the United States instead of China. Start building new plants now. Including the Screw Factory. Where there would be ZERO tax, and indeed a tax incentive. Easy solution. Or, don't keep your promise. And Apple prices will increase TREMENDOUSLY because of the massive Tariffs we are imposing on China. Exciting!

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  • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday January 29 2019, @09:40PM

    by JoeMerchant (3937) on Tuesday January 29 2019, @09:40PM (#793766)

    I bet if Apple started tomorrow, they could hire 270 women and start pumping out one Steve Jobs' frozen sperm baby per day.

    The problem is: for screws and heir apparents, the first article isn't due for 9 months.

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    🌻🌻 [google.com]