Apple keeps looking for new places to make its stuff that aren't China

Apple CEO Tim Cook is visiting Indonesia. BAY ISMOYO

• Tim Cook discussed manufacturing in Indonesia with president Joko Widodo, Reuters reported.
• Such a move would help Apple reduce its reliance on manufacturing in China. 
• The Apple CEO also visited Vietnam, another of its manufacturing hubs, this week.

Apple has put Indonesia in the frame as it looks to reduce its reliance on manufacturing in China.

After meeting president Joko Widodo in Jakarta on Tuesday, CEO Tim Cook said the iPhone maker will “look at” Indonesia, Reuters reported.

“We talked about the president’s desire to see manufacturing in the country, and it is something that we will look at,” Cook said.

His comments come amid a broader push by Apple to diversify its production beyond China, more than two decades after it began manufacturing there.

Cook also posted photos on X with several content creators he met on his trip to Indonesia on Wednesday.

About 14% of its iPhone production came from India in the last financial year, Bloomberg recently reported. The company also opened retail stores in India last year.

Apple has also turned to Vietnam to help diversity its manufacturing. Foxconn, its major Chinese assembler, moved production of iPads and MacBooks there in 2020 following a request from Apple.

Cook visited Vietnam earlier this week. Apple said in a statement on its Vietnamese website that it plans to boost spending on suppliers in the country.

The tech giant’s attempts to reduce its dependence on China come amid growing tension between the US and China. That’s been sparked by issues including trade disputes, competition over chips used for AI and cars, as well as tough export controls.

Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, made outside normal working hours.

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