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[craig nigrelli]
APPLE IS MAKING ITS LARGEST-EVER SPENDING COMMITMENT IN THE U.S., PLEDGING TO INVEST MORE THAN $500 BILLION OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. THE COMPANY SAYS THE MOVE WILL EXPAND AMERICAN MANUFACTURING, SUPPORT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ADVANCEMENTS, AND ADD 20-thousand JOBS, PRIMARILY IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AND SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT.
APPLE PLANS TO OPEN A 250-thousand-SQUARE-FOOT MANUFACTURING FACILITY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, WHERE IT WILL ASSEMBLE SERVERS TO POWER APPLE INTELLIGENCE, ITS AI-DRIVEN PLATFORM. THE SERVERS—PREVIOUSLY MANUFACTURED OVERSEAS—WILL BE BUILT IN HOUSTON STARTING IN 2026. APPLE SAYS THE FACILITY WILL CREATE THOUSANDS OF JOBS IN THE REGION.
THE COMPANY IS ALSO DOUBLING ITS U.S. ADVANCED MANUFACTURING FUND TO $10 BILLION TO SUPPORT DOMESTIC PRODUCTION.
THIS INCLUDES A MULTI-BILLION-DOLLAR AGREEMENT FOR APPLE TO PROCURE SILICON CHIPS MANUFACTURED AT TSMC’S ARIZONA FACILITY, WHICH BEGAN MASS PRODUCTION LAST MONTH. APPLE IS THE PLANT’S LARGEST CUSTOMER, AND THE EXPANSION AIMS TO STRENGTHEN U.S. SEMICONDUCTOR SUPPLY CHAINS.
APPLE SAYS IT WILL EXPAND DATA CENTER CAPACITY IN NORTH CAROLINA, IOWA, OREGON, ARIZONA, AND NEVADA TO SUPPORT ITS AI INFRASTRUCTURE. THE COMPANY SAYS THESE FACILITIES WILL BE POWERED BY ENERGY-EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGY.
APPLE IS ALSO OPENING A MANUFACTURING ACADEMY IN DETROIT TO TRAIN SMALL- AND MID-SIZED BUSINESSES ON AI AND SMART MANUFACTURING. THE ACADEMY WILL OFFER FREE COURSES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH EXPERTS FROM LEADING UNIVERSITIES, INCLUDING MICHIGAN STATE.
THE $500 BILLION COMMITMENT INCLUDES MANUFACTURING, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, SUPPLIER PARTNERSHIPS, AND APPLE TV+ PRODUCTIONS IN 20 STATES. APPLE REMAINS ONE OF THE LARGEST U.S. TAXPAYERS, HAVING PAID MORE THAN $75 BILLION IN TAXES OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, INCLUDING $19 BILLION IN 2024 ALONE.
THE ANNOUNCEMENT COMES AS APPLE FACES MOUNTING PRESSURE FROM TARIFFS ON CHINESE IMPORTS, FOLLOWING A RECENT MEETING BETWEEN CEO TIM COOK AND FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP. APPLE ASSEMBLES MANY OF ITS PRODUCTS IN CHINA, AND TRUMP’S NEW 10% TARIFFS ON IMPORTS COULD POSE CHALLENGES FOR THE COMPANY. WHILE APPLE PREVIOUSLY SECURED WAIVERS FROM TARIFFS DURING TRUMP’S FIRST TERM, IT REMAINS UNCLEAR HOW THE NEW TRADE POLICIES WILL IMPACT ITS SUPPLY CHAIN.
APPLE SAYS THE COMMITMENT REFLECTS ITS LONG-TERM SUPPORT FOR AMERICAN INNOVATION, JOB CREATION, AND MANUFACTURING, POSITIONING ITSELF FOR THE FUTURE OF AI, ADVANCED COMPUTING, AND SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY.
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