Feb 23 (Reuters) – Apple will move some production of its Mac Mini desktop computer to the U.S. from Asia, with a new manufacturing effort set to begin later this year at a Foxconn facility in north Houston, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
The plan marks the iPhone maker’s most recent U.S. investment, following its commitment announced last August to invest $600 billion in the U.S. over the next four years.
In May, U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened Apple with a 25% tariff on products manufactured overseas, a sharp reversal from earlier policy when his administration had exempted smartphones, computers and other electronics from rounds of tariffs on Chinese imports.
The production for Mac Mini will continue in Asia, its chief operating officer Sabih Khan told WSJ, adding that the facility will meet local demand as the U.S. assembly line ramps up.
It was not immediately clear whether Apple plans to scale down production in its Asia facilities. Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The company feels more confident projecting long-term demand for the Mac Mini, which is more popular than the Mac Pro, Khan added.
It is also expanding the Houston facility to include a new training center for advanced manufacturing, according to the report.
Apple has a mixed track record when it comes to following through on investment promises.
In 2019, for instance, Cook toured a Texas factory with Trump that was promoted as a new manufacturing site. However, the facility had been producing Apple computers since 2013 and Apple has since moved that production to Thailand.
Apple continues to manufacture most of its products, including iPhones and iPads, in Asia, primarily in China, although it has shifted some production to Vietnam, Thailand and India in recent years.
(Reporting by Devika Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman)
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