Apple CEO Tim Cook: 'It's Not True That the iPhone is Not Made in the United States'

[MacRumors]

"It's not true that the iPhone is not made in the United States," Apple CEO Tim Cook said this morning in an interview with Recode's Kara Swisher and MSNBC's Chris Hayes in a response to criticism about its ties to China and other countries.

"We have always made the parts here," Cook said. "People just look at where the final product is assembled." In a global world, he explained, manufacturing and assembly needs to be done in a variety of places.

Image via Recode​

As Cook has said multiple times in the past, key iPhone components are manufactured in the United States. Display glass for the iPhone and iPad, made by U.S. manufacturer Corning, comes from Kentucky. The Face ID module for the iPhone X comes from Texas. Various chips for Apple devices are also built in the United States, according to Cook, as is equipment for manufacturing the iPhone.

Components manufactured in the U.S. are shipped abroad, with devices assembled by suppliers like Foxconn and Pegatron in China.

Cook said "political pressure" doesn't push Apple to add U.S. jobs, as it's something the company is already doing. As Cook often says, Apple could "only have been created in the United States," and Apple wants to give back. "Businesses should be more than just building revenues and profits," Cook said. "They should be building people."

"We know that Apple could only have been created in the United States. We know that. This company would not have flourished in any other country in the world. We love this country. We are patriots. This is our country and we want to create as many jobs as we can in the U.S. We don't need any political pressure for that."

Apple in January outlined a five-year plan to contribute $350 billion to the U.S. economy through job creation, existing investments and manufacturing, and new investments. Apple has established an Advanced Manufacturing Fund, for example, to invest in U.S. manufacturing. Apple has thus far invested $200 million in Corning and $390 million in Finisar.

On the topic of job creation and automation, Cook said that it's important to "get comfortable" with "the notion that education is lifelong." Jobs, he says, will be "cannibalized over time and replaced by others." Continuously learning is important, which is why Apple puts such a focus on teaching students of all ages to code. "The jobs of tomorrow are heavily software based," he said.

"There's an element of what each of us do, which will be automated over time. That's not bad. But we need to think about training for the jobs for tomorrow, which will be software-based."

He said he does not believe the narrative around "doom and gloom" is correct, but he does believe government and businesses need to work together on job retraining and creation for industries that are being automated. "We should not all sit around waiting for government to tell us what to do," he said.

Tim Cook's full interview will air on MSNBC on Friday, April 6 at 5:00 p.m. in a segment titled "Revolution: Apple Changing the World."

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: Apple CEO Tim Cook: 'It's Not True That the iPhone is Not Made in the United States'

 

[555gallardo]

Sooo.... apparently, Apple is about to announce acquisition of China and claims it'll be a part of States?

 

[Glideslope]

2018 Hypocrite of the Year just given to Timmy. Obviously lobbying for China. He is scared to death. Too bad.

 

[I7guy]

The more Tim gets into the public eye, the more I like his style and way of thinking and how Apple is now being managed.

 

[asdavis10]

He does have a point. The assembly is what people focus the most on. But when you look at the scale and economics of manufacturing in emerging markets, you simply can't avoid them and still have your products sell at reasonable prices.

If countries start creating protectionist policies to force companies to manufacture locally, then you'll just see that increased cost passed on to the consumer. But the company won't absorb those higher costs.

 

[RickInHouston]

... and, just like that, he went one comment too far.

 

[Nozuka]

Jobs, he says, will be "cannibalized over time and replaced by others."

i see what you did there

 

[cmwade77]

Yikes! Even IF the parts are indeed made in the USA, they are then being shipped to China on a boat, which is polluting the environment to be assembled. The assembled phones are then shipped back to the USA on a boat, which again is polluting the environment.

So, yes it being assembled in another country is just as big of a deal as if the parts were made in another country. Now, if the USA is the only place the parts can be manufactured, then make them here and ship them to the countries where the phones will be sold to be assembled. In other words, assemble phones in the USA that are going to be sold in the USA, assemble phones that are going to be sold in China in China, assemble phones that are going to be sold in Canada in Canada, etc. Doing this will help spur the local economy of each of these countries, which means Apple could end up selling more phones there.

 

[itsmilo]

American patriotism is always mind boggling to me

 

[alex00100]

I don't understand why people think people in US deserve jobs more than people in other countries if the products are sold worldwide?

 

[apolloa]

Rriigghhttt, well all of the components can be made anywhere, but NONE of them by Apple..

IMO it’s disgraceful Apple doesn’t do a hell of a lot more to have its products made and assembled in the US, in instead it goes to China, pays a giant to make its devices who are intent to replace its workforce with robots thus having a race to the bottom on costs allowing Apple to make even more profit.

 

[Scottsoapbox]

An iPhone assembled in the U.S. would cost $2K instead of $1K. How many vocal critics would really pay that difference?

 

[IPPlanMan]

you simply can't avoid them and still have your products sell at reasonable prices.

Tim should have “Assembled in USA” versions of their products. New Balance does this for shoes.

At what price are fair labor principles and practices worth doing away with? I guess we’ll find out.

 

[TheRealTVGuy]

He does have a point. The assembly is what people focus the most on. But when you look at the scale and economics of manufacturing in emerging markets, you simply can't avoid them and still have your products sell at reasonable prices.

If countries start creating protectionist policies to force companies to manufacture locally, then you'll just see that increased cost passed on to the consumer. But the company won't absorb those higher costs.

But that begs the question... Isn't that what an item should cost? Like the avocado debacle a few months ago; if the real price of an "All-American avocado" grown and picked by someone who makes $15.00/hr is 10 bucks, then maybe that's just what it should have been all along.

Face it folks, you can't demand companies to make things completely in the U.S., pay their workers a minimum of $15.00/hr, have the government provide everyone with complete healthcare, and then pay $150 for an iPhone or $50 for a new TV. You have to pick your poison.

 

[BootsWalking]

Looks like Mr. Cook learned some alternate-reality strategies from our President.

 

[brian3uk]

Getting super tired of the half truths in the world today. Yeah sure some parts are made here, but most aren't. And y'all route your income through Ireland too so why's that? You wanna claim to be all SUPER USA, then bring your income home and pay your got dang taxes. And don't ask schools to pay $300 for ipads when they can't afford heat or to feed the kids. (because there isn't enough tax money for them)

 

[IPPlanMan]

An iPhone assembled in the U.S. would cost $2K instead of $1K. How many vocal critics would really pay that difference?

And why would it cost that? Oh that’s right, because of fair wages and labor practices that American workers have... and the lack of them in the foreign assembly plants that most Apple customers willingly and deliberately ignore.

 

[L-Viz]

If parts are produced in the US, the products assembled in China, then delivered to the world, then Tim, let us talk about the carbon footprint of an iPhone.

 

[IPPlanMan]

If parts are produced in the US, the products assembled in China, then delivered to the world, then Tim, let us talk about the carbon footprint of an iPhone.

Apple would prefer that you didn’t.

Oh look... shiny solar panels.

 

[twocents]

Soo with record revenue and money in hand along with thousands of employees and new hires, why is there more product line neglect and abandonment than ever? iPod Touch, iPhone SE, iPad mini, Mac mini, Mac Pro, AirPort line, MacBook camera quality, delayed iOS feature release, delayed iWork catch-up to ‘09, Aperture, overall quality of iOS and macOS bugs, no real macOS upgrade in years. Only Apple under Tim could do this. Innovation my a$$, rant over

 

[baller1308]

Why do people want the iPhone to be made in the US? They don't think $1k is enough?

 

[Nozuka]

Getting super tired of the half truths in the world today. Yeah sure some parts are made here, but most aren't. And y'all route your income through Ireland too so why's that? You wanna claim to be all SUPER USA, then bring your income home and pay your got dang taxes. And don't ask schools to pay $300 for ipads when they can't afford heat or to feed the kids. (because there isn't enough tax money for them)

Apple is not a charity.

 

[IPPlanMan]

Soo with record revenue and money in hand along with thousands of employees and new hires, why is there more product line neglect and abandonment than ever? iPod Touch, iPhone SE, iPad mini, Mac mini, Mac Pro, AirPort line, MacBook camera quality, delayed iOS feature release, delayed iWork catch-up to ‘09, Aperture, overall quality of iOS and macOS bugs, no real macOS upgrade in years. Only Apple under Tim could do this. Innovation my a$$, rant over

How do you think they’ve amassed that money?

 

[Count Blah]

American patriotism is always mind boggling to me

Patriotism, or not slicing one’s own throat, to save a penny?

Doing right by your customers and employees, has been replaced by globalism, who’s motto is - I’d happily see my own community turn into a ghost town, if I could make just $0.001 more per widget, shipping 10k jobs overseas.

Those who must be served are the globalist, though many use the euphemism of ‘shareholders’ instead.

 

[L-Viz]

I would suggest Apple goes back to the roots. The Apple 1 was sold at the byte shop as a "build your own" set. If Apple sold all the parts of an iPhone to the customers for lets say 200 ....