Feb 24 (Reuters) – Apple will move some production of its Mac Mini desktop computer to the U.S. from Asia, with a new manufacturing effort set to begin later this year at a facility in Houston, the iPhone maker said on Tuesday.
The plan marks the Apple’s most recent U.S. investment, following its commitment announced last August to invest $600 billion in the U.S. over the next four years.
In May, U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened Apple with a 25% tariff on products manufactured overseas, a sharp reversal from earlier policy when his administration had exempted smartphones, computers and other electronics from rounds of tariffs on Chinese imports.
Apple is also expanding the Houston facility to include a new training center for advanced manufacturing, and said its Houston operations will create thousands of jobs.
The company has a mixed track record when it comes to following through on investment promises.
In 2019, for instance, CEO Tim Cook toured a Texas factory with Trump that was promoted as a new manufacturing site. However, the facility had been producing Apple computers since 2013 and Apple has since moved that production to Thailand.
Apple continues to manufacture most of its products, including iPhones and iPads, in Asia, primarily in China, although it has shifted some production to Vietnam, Thailand and India in recent years. Â
(Reporting by Devika Nair and Zaheer Kachwala in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman and Devika Syamnath)
