Recently, it was reported that China has imposed a lockdown in some areas near Foxconn’s iPhone assembling plant in the city of Zhengzhou which raised concerns for Apple’s iPhone supply chain. Now, Bloomberg reports that Foxconn’s iPhone manufacturing facility has escaped the COVID-19 lockdown and is working at full capacity.
After two years, China recorded over 1800 COVID-19 positive cases in March and since then, various cities in the country have been under strict lockdown including manufacturing hubs like the cities of Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Kunshan which was expanded to Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone, the home of largest iPhone assembling plant in the world. The lockdowns have halted production at different Apple suppliers’ factories for the iPhone, iPad, and MacBook except for Foxconn.
A surge in Covid infections in Shanghai led to extensive disruptions there, and Zhengzhou’s decision late Friday to implement a quarantine raised concerns that Foxconn Technology Group’s facility may have to limit operations. The sprawling assembly site’s importance to Apple Inc.’s smartphone supply chain has earned the locality the nickname of iPhone City.
Foxconn iPhone city in Zhengzhou, China is operating normally in spite of the COVID-19 lockdown in the area
Previously, it was reported that Foxconn was allowed to resume operations at its facilities in Shenzhen under a bubble arrangement to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The close loop management system requires the factory workers to live at the facility and undergo regular testing. And the Taiwanese manufacturer has given leverage in Zhengzhou as well.
The world’s biggest iPhone assembly campus, on the outskirts of the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou, is operating normally despite lockdowns and mass Covid-19 testing in the area that began last week, the official Henan Daily reported.
“Production at the Foxconn campus is proceeding well with some 200,000 workers,” the newspaper said, citing Foxconn managers within the compound. The Taiwanese company is cooperating with local government and putting measures in place to ensure worker safety. “The supply lines haven’t been affected by Covid.” – Bloomberg
It appears that Apple is going to stir clear of the suspected supply constraints caused by the COVID-19 outbreak in China. Foxconn is also given a green signal to double its capacity at the iPhone assembling facility in Chennai, India to produce iPhone 13 Pro models for the domestic market which is likely to boost iPhone shipments in 2022.
