We’ve been talking for many years about both the need and the difficulty of reducing Apple’s dependence on China, and Bloomberg’s research division has now put some estimated numbers on it.
The research suggests that moving just 10% of Apple production out of China would take around eight years…
Background
We noted back in 2017 the massive challenge of shifting significant amounts of Apple production outside China.
It’s no accident that much of Apple’s manufacturing happens in and around Shenzhen. First, the city is strategically-placed, serving as the gateway between mainland China and Hong Kong. It is one of the largest shipping centers in the world, with a massive container port.
Second, the Chinese government established Shenzhen as the first Special Economic Zone in the country. SEZs are designed to encourage enterprise through relaxed planning regulations and generous tax incentives – and, crucially, to facilitate foreign investment in local companies. It is this, as much as its geographical advantages, which has enabled it to grow at such a pace.
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