The chairman of Apple’s main assembly partner, Foxconn, confirmed on Friday that some type of investment in the United States is planned, but offered no details on the plans.
“We are planning a number of investments in America,” Terry Gou told Reuters and other news agencies outside of the White House, where he is believed to have met with President Donald Trump. While vague on details, the executive added plans will “include both capital-intensive and skilled labor-intensive and high-tech investment.”
Gou said in January that his company was considering a $7 billion joint investment with Apple in a display plant to be located in the U.S. Later though, Gou expressed concerns about possibly supply chain and labor issues that might be associated with such a move. He also lamented the lack of government incentives.
If it chose to manufacture some of its product in the U.S., Foxconn would face a number of issues, mostly involving operation costs. The company does most of its manufacturing in China, which offers lower wage, safety, and environmental standards than the U.S.
The Trump administration has pushed an “America First” policy since President Trump was inaugurated, and has promised to bring jobs back to America. It is possible the administration and Gou have come to some sort of agreement.
Manufacturing jobs have been on the wane in the United States for decades, meaning difficulties in hiring employees that are qualified for such work. The company would likely rely on automation to help alleviate this issue.
