China today implemented lockdowns near Foxconn’s main iPhone manufacturing facilities in Zhengzhou. The lockdown could impact Apple’s supply chain, reports Bloomberg.
Some areas in the Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone have been placed under quarantine effective immediately, and people in the area must remain in their homes and are not allowed to leave them. That area is the location of Foxconn’s largest iPhone assembly plant, and employees have been undergoing mandatory Covid testing.
China has been using rolling lockdowns in its attempt to curb the spread of the virus, and those lockdowns could impact Apple’s manufacturing schedules. While no iPhone or iPad shortages have been experienced, there have been delays in MacBook deliveries. Production has also been halted at plants run by Apple suppliers Quanta and Pegatron in eastern China, also due to Covid restrictions.
At least one MacTrast reader has had his MacBook Pro order delayed.
While reports earlier this week indicated Foxconn had not yet been affected by lockdowns, things have changed during the week. Foxconn was in March forced to suspend production for several days at its Shenzhen facilities as a city-wide lockdown prevented residents from leaving their homes. However, they were able to resume operations as employees lived and worked at the plant in a bubble-type environment.