
US-based tech giant Apple will shift production of its Mac Pro computers to China, said a report by The Wall Street Journal on Friday.
That desktop is the only major Apple device produced in the US. It is produced in Texas.
According to the report, Apple has chosen a Taiwanese contractor, Quanta Computer Inc, to manufacture the $6,000 desktop computer near Shanghai.
The shift comes at amid the escalating trade war between the US and China. US President Trump is threatening to slap tariffs on almost all imports from China, which would raise prices for US consumers.
Mac Pro is a niche product for Apple and not a high volume seller. But the shift could still anger Trump, who has been pressing US companies in general and Apple specifically to make things in America.
Meanwhile, news agency Reuters had reported that earlier this month that the company has asked its major suppliers to asses the cost implications of moving 15-30 per cent of their production capacity from China to Southeast Asia.
Key iPhone assemblers Foxconn, Pegatron Corp, Wistron Corp, major MacBook maker Quanta Computer Inc, iPad maker Compal Electronics Inc, and AirPods makers Inventec Corp, Luxshare-ICT and Goertek have been asked to evaluate options outside of China, Reuters had reported citing Nikkei Asian Review report.
The countries being considered to include Mexico, India, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia. India and Vietnam are among the favourites for smartphones, Nikkei said, citing sources who did not want to be identified as the discussions are private.