Apple will begin producing MacBooks in Vietnam next year

Apple's MacBooks will be manufactured in Vietnam for the first time beginning next year, the latest of numerous Apple items to be relocated to the nation. 

According to Nikkei Asia, Apple has selected its leading supplier, Taiwan's Foxconn, to begin manufacturing the laptops in Vietnam as early as May. 

"After the MacBook switches, all of Apple's major products will effectively have one additional production facility outside of China... iPhones in India and MacBooks, the Apple Watch, and iPads in Vietnam," one individual with firsthand knowledge of the situation said. 

"What Apple now wants is an 'out of China' alternative for at least some of its products' manufacture."

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(Image: Vnexpress)

The business has been working on plans to relocate some MacBook manufacturers to Vietnam for over two years. According to a Japanese news site, it has already established a test production line in the nation. 

According to JP Morgan analysts, Vietnam will produce 65% of Apple's wireless AirPods by 2025 as the US tech giant continues to move production away from China. 

The country would also be responsible for 20% of iPad and Apple Watch output and 5% of MacBook manufacturing. 

Foxconn, a key supplier, leased 50.5 hectares of property in Bac Giang Province in August with intentions to build a $300 million facility employing 30,000 people.

This year, Vietnam has been one of the fastest-growing markets for Apple products, with robust demand for iPhones.