Apple is planning to buy more components from Vietnam, “underscoring a trend among global tech firms to look beyond China to secure their supply chains, cut costs and open up new markets,” according to CNN.
CEO Tim Cook made the pledge in a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi Tuesday, according to a statement by Vietnam’s government. Here’s part of the text of the statement: Pham welcomed Tim Cook’s first visit to Viet Nam, expressing thanks to the crucial contribution of Apple and its partners to the development of the country via creating more jobs and supporting Viet Nam to participate into the global supply chain of Apple.
Viet Nam is willing to work with Apple to establish a working group to support the corporation in investing and expanding operation in the country in a more sustainable manner, asserted the PM.
He proposed the corporation identify Viet Nam as a production base and encourage its suppliers to expand business investment in the country, and help qualified Vietnamese businesses to participate deeper into Apple’s value chain.
The PM highlighted the need to increase consultancy for Viet Nam to improve its legal system and policy mechanisms to develop science, technology and innovation; and promote cooperation with innovation centers and software parks in Viet Nam, especially with the Viet Nam National Innovation Center.
The corporation should support the nation in human resource training, especially launching the program to train 100,000 high-quality engineers, including 50,000 high-quality engineers in the semiconductor industry, he recommended.
He acknowledged proposal of Apple to increase clean energy access for Apple manufacturers in Viet Nam.
Tim Cook, for his part, hailed Viet Nam’s development goals, particularly in terms of inclusive and sustainable development, environmental protection, and human development.
Last December Nikkei Asia reported that for the first time Apple is allocating product development resources for the iPad to Vietnam. The article said this is “a major step toward strengthening the Southeast Asian country’s position as an alternative manufacturing hub outside of China.” Apple is purportedly working with China’s BYD, a key iPad assembler, to move new product introduction (NPI) resources to Vietnam.
