Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive officer (CEO), has reaffirmed his company’s commitment to strengthening the American manufacturing industry.
During an interview with MSNBC, Cook responded to a variety of questions regarding Apple’s stance on manufacturing, including how his company’s was responding to President Trump’s push to manufacture more products in the United States instead of abroad. Apple, of course, has been known to produce a significant amount of its products — as well as components — in China, which is currently ranked as the world’s leading manufacturer (the United States is second).
When asked by reporters whether Apple would move its production from China to the United States, Cook explained that Apple is already building its products in the United States. According to Cook, the final assembly of some Apple products occurs in China, but the rest of the assembly and development often happens here in the United States.
Cook said that the iPhone’s display glass, known as Gorilla Glass, is produced at a facility in Kentucky. Furthermore, processor chips and equipment for the iPhone and other Apple products are also produced in the United States. Cook went on to say that Apple wouldn’t have become the leading tech company that it is today if it started in another country. Because of this, Apple wants to nurture the American manufacturing industry and create new jobs for workers in the United States.
“We know that Apple could only have been created in the United States,” said Cook during the speech. “We love this country. We’re patriots. This is our country. Want to create as many jobs in the U.S. as we can.”
Earlier this year, Apple announced a series of new investments to further support the American manufacturing industry and economy. The investments, which are expected to contribute roughly $350 billion to the U.S. economy, focus on three areas: hiring more workers, spending more money with domestic suppliers, and fueling the company’s app economy. Apple says that it has already created 2 million new jobs in the United States. With these new investments, though, it wants to create more jobs for American workers.
According to Apple’s press release, the tech company plants to invest $30 billion in domestic expenditures over the next five years, $10 billion of which will be used for data centers in the United States. Apple already has numerous data centers in the United States, including those in North Carolina, Nevada, Arizona and Oregon. It’s now planning to build even more, which will create new jobs and foster growth in the American manufacturing industry.