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Reindustrialization under Trump: Apple to move a significant part of its production to Houston

Apple previously tried to manufacture the Mac Pro at a plant in Austin, Texas, opened in 2013. However, according to sources cited by The Wall Street Journal, production at that facility slowed considerably over the years.

Customers line up to purchase newly launched iPhones.

Customers line up to purchase newly launched iPhones.AFP

Diane Hernández
Published by
Diane Hernández

Apple Inc. will move some production of its Mac Mini desktop computer to the United States from Asia in a new initiative to relocate segments of its supply chain, reported The Wall Street Journal.

The project will begin later this year at a Foxconn plant located in northern Houston, according to Sabih Khan, Apple's chief operating officer, who offered details during a tour of the facility arranged for the newspaper.

Khan showed two main buildings: one where Foxconn already assembles artificial intelligence servers for Apple and another, currently used as a warehouse, that will be transformed into a roughly 220,000-square-foot manufacturing space earmarked for production of the Mac Mini.

Part of a larger investment in the U.S.

The move is part of Apple's commitment announced last August to invest $600 billion in the United States over four years. According to The Wall Street Journal, this and similar commitments by major companies came after pressure from the Donald Trump administration to boost domestic investment in exchange for tariff exemptions.

However, Khan clarified that Mac Mini manufacturing will not leave Asia entirely. Production will continue on that continent, while the Houston line will primarily serve demand from the U.S. market as it ramps up capacity.

A niche product

The Mac Mini accounts for less than 5% of global Mac computer sales and less than 1% of the company's total sales, according to estimates cited by The Wall Street Journal from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. It's a popular computer among software developers for the Apple ecosystem and, more recently, among users looking to run artificial intelligence tools from their desktops.

Khan noted that the company has greater confidence in sustained demand for the Mac Mini than for the Mac Pro, Apple's most expensive model.

Background in Texas

Apple previously attempted to manufacture the Mac Pro at a plant in Austin, Texas, opened in 2013. However, according to sources cited by The Wall Street Journal, production at that facility slowed considerably over the years.

In parallel to the industrial expansion in Houston, Apple also plans to open a new advanced manufacturing training center within the complex. The space will be intended for students, supplier employees and professionals interested in learning manufacturing techniques developed by the company.

Both the new production line and training center are scheduled to begin operations later this year.

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