Apple to produce iPad in Vietnam for the first time

The company is moving some iPad production out of China and to Vietnam after strict Covid-19 lockdowns in and around Shanghai led to months of supply chain disruptions, Nikkei Asia reported.

China’s BYD, one of the leading iPad assemblers, has helped Apple build production lines in Vietnam and could soon start to produce a small number of the iconic tablets there, it added.

The iPad will become the second major line of Apple products made in Vietnam after the AirPods earbud series.

“The move highlights not only Apple’s continuous efforts to diversify its supply chain but also the growing importance of Vietnam to the company,” the report said.

Last year Apple shipped 58 million iPads globally, the majority of them made in China.

There were reports last month about the possibility of Apple producing its wireless earbud AirPods Pro 2 in Vietnam starting from the second half of this year.

“The shift in AirPods Pro 2 production can be attributed to the relatively uncomplicated supply chain and Vietnam’s better production environment (such as infrastructure and workforce) vs. most countries outside China,” supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said.