On April 17, 2024, Apple CEO Tim Cook arrived at the Independence Palace in Jakarta and met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
Ismoyo Bay | AFP | Getty Images
apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said the company would “consider” manufacturing in Indonesia after meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, as the iPhone giant continues to diversify its supply chain away from China.
“We talked about the president’s desire to see manufacturing in the country and that’s something we’re going to look at,” Cook told reporters after the meeting.
“I think Indonesia’s investment capabilities are endless. I think there are a lot of great places to invest. We are investing. We believe in this country.”
Apple has been accelerating its push to diversify its manufacturing base outside China over the past three years after the Covid-19 pandemic exposed the Cupertino giant’s dependence on the world’s second-largest economy.
The coronavirus outbreak has disrupted operations and production at Apple’s main iPhone factory in China, which is run by its assembly partner Foxconn.
Apple has since sought to expand its manufacturing base.
Vietnam is a major beneficiary, becoming one of Apple’s largest manufacturing hubs outside China. Products such as MacBooks, iPads and Apple Watches are produced there. Cook visited Vietnam earlier this week.
Apple has also ramped up production in India.
According to Bloomberg, about one-seventh (or 14%) of Apple’s iPhones are currently produced in India, which is twice the amount produced in India last year.
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