Apple may move iPad and MacBook manufacturing from China to Vietnam

Apple has asked Foxconn to move some iPad and MacBook manufacturing capacity to Vietnam, Reuters reports. The assembly lines are set to start production in the first half of next year at Foxconn’s Bac Giang province, according to Reuters’ source, who notes that Apple wants to diversify its supply chain due to the ongoing trade disputes between the US and China.

Reuters’ report doesn’t state which iPad or Mac models will be assembled in Vietnam, nor what proportion of Apple’s total production will shift out of China. But these wouldn’t be the first Apple products to be assembled in Vietnam — Apple started producing AirPods Pro units there earlier this year. Apple has also used India for production of certain iPhone models for a while, although that mostly predates the US-China trade war and helps the company meet local import regulations.

Nikkei reported earlier this week that Foxconn is planning a $270 million investment in Vietnam to expand its manufacturing capacity. The Taiwanese company is said to be moving more than 30 percent of its production lines outside China.