Apple Inc. AAPL-Q said on Monday it would spend US$500-billion in U.S. investments in the next four years that will include a giant factory in Texas for artificial intelligence servers and add about 20,000 research and development jobs across the country in that time.
That US$500-billion in expected spending includes everything from purchases from U.S. suppliers to U.S. filming of television shows and movies for its Apple TV+ service. The company declined to say how much of the figure it was already planning to spend with its U.S. supply base, which includes firms such as Corning that makes glass for iPhones in Kentucky.
The move comes after media reports that Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook met President Donald Trump last week. Many of Apple’s products that are assembled in China could face 10 per cent tariffs imposed by Mr. Trump earlier this month, though the iPhone maker had secured some waivers from China tariffs in the first Trump administration.
“This pledge represents a political gesture toward the Trump administration,” said Gil Luria, analyst at D.A. Davidson, noting that the US$500-billion likely includes all of Apple’s spending in the U.S., including general and administrative costs.
“It is unclear whether this announcement represents an acceleration in spend.”
Apple made a similar announcement about its U.S. spending plans in 2018, during the first Trump administration, when it said its new and continuing investments would contribute US$350-billion to the U.S. economy over five years.
Shares were down 0.8 per cent in premarket trading.
Mr. Trump, in a Truth Social post, thanked Apple and Mr. Cook, saying the move reflected the company’s faith in his administration.
Most of Apple’s consumer products are assembled outside the U.S., though many of Apple components are still made there, including chips from Broadcom, SkyWorks Solutions and Qorovo.
Apple said it started mass producing chips of its own design last month at an Arizona factory owned by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.
Bringing TSMC to Arizona and helping introduce legislation that later became the CHIPS Act to bolster U.S. semi-conductor production were two of Mr. Trump’s biggest industrial policy moves during his first term.
Apple said on Monday it will work with Foxconn, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry, to build a 250,000-square-foot facility in Houston, where it will assemble servers that go into data centres to power Apple Intelligence, its suite of AI features that help draft e-mails and perform other tasks. Those servers are currently made outside of the U.S., Apple said.
Apple said it plans to increase its Advanced Manufacturing Fund from US$5-billion to US$10-billion, with part of the expansion being a “multibillion-dollar commitment from Apple to produce advanced silicon” at TSMC’s Arizona factory.
Apple did not disclose details of its deal with TSMC, but it has in the past used the fund to help partners build out the infrastructure needed to deliver products or services for Apple.
Apple will also open a manufacturing academy in Michigan where its engineers, along with local university staff, will offer free courses for small and mid-sized manufacturing firms in areas such as project management and manufacturing process optimization.