Foxconn following Apple's lead into 'made in USA' expansion

iMac teardown
Apple brings Mac manufacturing back to USA, and Foxconn may follow

Now that Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook has spilled the beans on plans to bring manufacturing of its Mac computers back to America, its major Asian supplier has confirmed its intentions to do the same - someday.

Bloomberg reported Thursday that Foxconn Technology Group is exploring the possibility of expanding its largely Chinese-based manufacturing facilities into the United States.

"We are looking at doing more manufacturing in the U.S. because, in general, customers want more to be done there," Foxconn spokesman Louis Woo confirmed without elaborating on specific plans, clients or timing.

The comments come on the heels of an interview today with Apple's CEO in which he detailed a $100 million investment in U.S.-based Mac manufacturing in 2013.

Supply chain growth

Based in Taipei, Foxconn already has U.S. factories in California and Texas to provide partially assembled products for its server clients.

With more than 1.6 million workers globally, the supplier wants to leverage what it calls "high-value engineering talent" in America, compared to the "low-cost labor of China."

Apple may be Foxconn's highest profile client thanks to the iPhone and iPad, but the 38-year old company also manufactures Sony PlayStations, televisions and other products for the likes of Hewlett-Packard Co.

While most of Foxconn's suppliers are also based in China, some key components such as core processors and Corning's Gorilla Glass are already manufactured in the USA.

Via Bloomberg