Foxconn, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer and a key Apple supplier, is closing two of its plants in Kushan, China, due to an increase of COVID-19 cases in the region.
According to the South China Morning Post, the factories are close to Shanghai, and the city of Kushan has implemented a citywide lockdown to prevent COVID spread.
On the surface, this looks to be a big setback for Apple, but Foxconn guarantees that everything will be fine.
According to Reuters, a Foxconn spokeswoman indicated that manufacturing has shifted to other plants and that many Apple items are stored in international warehouses.
As a result, the total effect on Apple and Foxconn will be minor at most.
The same cannot be true of Foxconn’s other manufacturing operations. Manufacturing of data transmission equipment and connections will be halted until Chinese authorities give them permission to resume production.
This isn’t the first time something like this has happened, despite Foxconn’s assurances. A COVID-19 epidemic in the city of Shenzhen in March 2022 forced the closure of all production in the vicinity.
This includes Foxconn’s Longhua and Guanlan facilities, which produced items for Apple and Samsung, among others. During the pandemic, incidents like this have become almost routine, such as the May 2021 shutdown.
We contacted Apple for comment on the abrupt closure and how it would affect future products, and we will update this article as soon as we hear back.
To read our blog on “Apple’s iPhone 13 will be manufactured in India by Foxconn” click here.
