Foxconn, the Taiwan-based company, which is Apple’s leading assembler for its smartphones and other electronic items is considering opening a plant in Wisconsin, United States. The opening of an Apple assembling plant in Wisconsin may employ thousands of people and would give a much needed political boost to the state’s Governor Scott Walker, who is currently prepping to run for re-election. The news that Foxconn is contemplating opening a plant in Wisconsin was confirmed by a source that has direct knowledge of the negotiations.
The source confirmed to Associated Press that the state of Wisconsin is in talks with Foxconn for the opening of the plant.
Apart from Apple, Foxconn assembles tablets and smartphones for Blackberry, Sony, and many other brands. In China, the company has over 1 million employees.
Foxconn plant in Wisconsin a part of Trump’s ‘Make American Great Again’ policy?
In 2016, when the Donald Trump was running his Presidential campaign he urged Apple to shift its production base from overseas to the United States, to stop overseas exporting and create more jobs for U.S. citizens. However, Trump did not take into consideration some pivotal points that Apple needed to consider regarding moving production to America.
Shifting production of Apple hardware from countries with low labor costs to a higher wage country would increase the cost of production for the iPhone or in fact, any Apple hardware.
Moreover, if the Cupertino-based company wants to keep the same profit margin on its products, it would have to increase the price of its products, which would make Apple-manufactured electronics less affordable for Americans.
However, back in November 2016, Apple said it would mull over shifting some of its iPhone production to the U.S.
Speculations were rife that Apple was in talks with some of their most important contract manufacturers regarding the setup of a supply chain based in the United States. ZD Net cited the AP as saying that Foxconn was to build a factory in Wisconsin and that "Michigan is also being considered because of the state's proximity to the auto industry." v
President hints at Foxconn plant
During his visit to Milwaukee on Tuesday, June 13, President Trump stated that Governor Walker may get “a very happy surprise very soon” as he mentioned an unnamed company was currently in talks with Wisconsin to open a factory. Trump stated that many companies were coming to the United States.
It remains to be seen if the Foxconn factory opens in Wisconsin in the near future.
