Apple Will Produce a New Mac Pro in Texas to Avoid Taxes
Mac Pro is the only major Apple product to be assembled in the US, when most other products, including the iPhone, are assembled in China and are facing tariff threats.
On September 23, Apple announced it would produce the next generation of Mac Pro desktops in Austin, Texas, USA.
Mac Pro is Apple’s only mainframe product assembled in the US. Most of Apple’s products, including iPhones, are assembled in China and are facing tariff threats.
Apple also confirmed over the weekend that it received product tax exemptions, allowing it to import some of the parts needed for Mac Pro without paying import duties. Apple says the new Mac Pro models include US-made parts more than twice as much as previous models.
“Mac Pro is Apple’s most powerful computer and we are proud to build it in Austin. We thank the authorities for their support for this opportunity,” Apple CEO Tim Cook in a statement.
In July, US President Donald Trump signaled in a tweet that he wanted to reject Apple’s proposals for tax exemptions with Mac Pro. In a tweet on July 26, Mr. Trump wrote: “Apple will not exempt or give relief to Mac Pro parts made in China. Make them in the US, without tariffs!”
“One man I like and respect is Tim Cook, and we will deal with it, I think they will announce that they will build a factory in Texas, and if they do that, I start. feel very happy, okay. ” Mr. Trump later said.
In response, Mr. Cook said he wanted to continue producing Mac Pro in the United States and asked Apple to talk to the Trump administration about this issue.
An earlier version of Mac Pro was also assembled in Texas by Flex, a contract manufacturer. Apple says the new design, announced earlier this year, will be manufactured at the same facility in Texas.
Mac Pro is a high-end model for programmers, artists, and other users who need a powerful configuration. The computer starts at $ 5,999 and is one of Apple’s most valuable products. Apple did not disclose Mac Pro sales, but Macs including other laptops and desktops accounted for 10% of Apple’s revenue in the most recent quarter.
Apple still faces import duties expected to take effect on December 15, which could affect nearly all of its major products including iPhone, iPad, MacBook and Apple Watch.
