[News] Apple Reportedly Downsizes MacBook Production in Vietnam, Expands in India

According to a report from ijiwei, Apple is reportedly shifting its production strategy by scaling back its plans to expand MacBook manufacturing in Vietnam while placing greater emphasis on India.

Citing industry sources, the report notes that Apple’s strategic realignment is driven by three key factors: the unpredictable stance of the Trump administration, the evolving local market environment, and strategic considerations of the company’s diverse product portfolio.

As the report highlights, Apple had previously sought to reduce its reliance on Chinese manufacturing by shifting iPhone production to India while designating Vietnam as a hub for AirPods, iPad, and Mac production. By September 2023, Vietnam had become Apple’s fourth-largest production center, as the report notes.

However, the report citing sources states that Apple has taken an increasingly cautious approach toward production in Vietnam. In contrast, the report notes that the company continues to strengthen iPhone manufacturing in India.

The report points out that Apple is rapidly expanding its manufacturing network in India, leveraging local subsidies, a skilled workforce, and the country’s advancing technological capabilities, making India a crucial part of Apple’s broader strategy to reduce dependence on China.

Sources cited in the report indicate that between April and September 2024, Apple exported nearly USD 6 billion worth of India-made iPhones (based on factory prices), marking a one-third increase compared to the same period in 2023. Apple’s total export value from India for the 2024 fiscal year is on track to exceed USD 10 billion, as highlighted by the report.

The report mentions that three of Apple’s key suppliers—Foxconn, Pegatron, and Tata Electronics—are assembling iPhones in southern India, and Foxconn’s factory near Chennai is the largest Apple supplier in India, accounting for half of the country’s iPhone exports.

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