Apple CEO Tim Cook has confirmed that the company is seriously considering the possibility of opening up its first manufacturing facility in Indonesia. Cook confirmed the idea after meeting the country’s president and industry minister in Jakarta (via Reuters).
Cook stated that expanding Apple’s manufacturing presence to Indonesia “is something that we will look at.” Currently, Apple does not assemble any of its products in the Southeast Asian country, but this is something that could change soon following Cook’s revelation and the company’s desire to move manufacturing away from China.
Beyond manufacturing, Apple has been slowly but steadily building its presence in Indonesia with its Developer Academies. In addition to Cook’s meetings with the Indonesian government, the CEO will inaugurate the country’s fourth Apple Developer Academy which will open its doors in Bali.
Cook’s visit to Indonesia comes after the CEO’s two-day trip to Vietnam where he similarly promised more local manufacturing investments in the neighboring Asian country. Apple’s supply chain partners in Vietnam already assemble a swath of different products, including iPad, Apple Watch, and AirPods models. Vietnamese manufacturing could soon expand to select MacBook models.
Apple is looking to bolster its manufacturing presence outside China amid a faltering political relationship with the United States, something that could quickly affect the Cupertino company’s ability to manufacture and export products worldwide. Apple is already making notable gains with its manufacturing push outside China as more iPhone units than ever before are now being assembled in India.
