Apple has announced it will increase its already significant investment commitment in American manufacturing, increasing its investment from $500 billion to $600 billion.
The massive spend will be used to expand American production over the next four years, part of efforts to bring more manufacturing back to the United States, including here in North Texas.
Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the news at the White House on Wednesday. Afterwards, the iPhone maker delivered a press release disclosing how it plans to allocate the funds.
Apple plans to launch the American Manufacturing Program, or AMP. The program aims to make all iPhone and Apple Watch cover glass domestically in the United States. It also entails the creation of an end-to-end domestic silicon supply chain.
Notably, Apple claims the initiative will generate more than 450,000 American jobs over the next four years.
President Trump has been pressuring U.S. firms to onshore manufacturing, in part to create American jobs, but also to protect American supply chains. As previously reported in The Dallas Express, the President even singled out Apple in the past for its extensive manufacturing abroad.
Apple’s new commitment includes a noted partnership with Dallas-based Texas Instruments. The two tech companies are expanding their collaboration to transform bare “wafers,” the fundamental building blocks of computer chips, into finished products. Much of this work will be completed at TI’s new North Texas facility in Sherman, leveraging manufacturing equipment made by Applied Materials in Austin.
Sherman will also see GlobalWafers produce advanced 300mm wafers that will be used in iPhones and iPads. Additionally, Sherman-based Coherant has entered into a multiyear agreement to produce VCEL lasers for use in Apple’s Face ID and other tech.
The Cupertino, California-based company also plans to expand its partnership with MP Materials to buy American-made rare earth magnets. The move will expand MP’s flagship facility in Fort Worth.