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.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Immerman on Tuesday January 29 2019, @04:53PM (1 child)
> it's quite obvious that the reason Apple, and everyone else, makes things in China it's cause of the wages
Not true. It's also because of the incredibly lax pollution regulations. Every little bit of cost savings helps line the corporate coffers and executive bonuses..
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 29 2019, @11:57PM
This...
We have outsourced our pollution. China is just starting to clue into that.
Think about it. Lets say a screw cost an extra 1 cent to make here. Lets say you use 10k of the things. Hell, that is a rounding error in some productions. But 2 extra people to run the OSHA and pollution management. Plus the 5 inspections a year. Plus getting rid of any ways is as easy as calling the right guy and you have China in a nutshell.