HANOI (Bernama-VNA): Apple is taking an unprecedented step by choosing Vietnam as the main production base for an entirely new product category - ranging from AI-integrated home security cameras and smart home control displays to motion-interactive desktop robots, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported.
For years, Vietnam has been the production hub for Apple's well-established product lines, such as AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, Mac, and HomePod.
The move to produce a brand-new product range in the country right from the early stages reflects a strategic shift in the tech giant’s global manufacturing allocation.
Analysts from Nikkei and Bloomberg noted that Vietnam is rising from being an industrial satellite to becoming a technological hub, capable of participating more deeply in engineering design and product validation.
Despite a 20 per cent US import tariff on goods from Vietnam, Apple is willing to absorb the cost in exchange for supply chain security and production flexibility in a country with political stability and a rapidly growing technical workforce.
The Vietnamese Government is also accelerating cooperation programmes on digital transformation, clean energy, and high-quality human resources development to meet the growing demand of the technology sector. according to VNA.
Apple’s expanding presence reflects a broader trend, as more global tech giants such as Google, Dell, and Goertek are increasing investments in Vietnam.
The South-East Asian nation is being viewed as a strategic "balancing point” amid the US push for on-shoring manufacturing.
Despite reciprocal tariffs, international corporations recognise Vietnam’s skilled workforce and stable political environment as major advantages in an uncertain global context.
Major semiconductor players such as NVIDIA, Marvell, Synopsys, and Foxconn have also recently expanded their AI and chip-related projects in Vietnam. - Bernama-VNA
