China’s Apple loss is India’s gain, as 2022 supplier list shows shift in supply chain preferences

  • Apple added five new suppliers in mainland China last year but cut eight, while production bases in India rose to 14 from 11
  • China remains a production stronghold for the iPhone maker, with 151 of its 188 suppliers having facilities in the country

Ben Jiangin Beijing
People walk near a display advertising Apple’s iPhone 14 outside its store in Shanghai on November 7, 2022. Photo: Reuters

Apple added five new mainland Chinese suppliers while removing eight in mainland China in its latest financial year ended September 2022, after China’s strict Covid-19 controls disrupted iPhone production last holiday season, according to the latest supplier list published by the US consumer electronics giant.

Globally, Apple added 18 new suppliers while cutting 19, resulting in a small adjustment in its supply chain, but one that has made India a clear winner. The number of Apple production sites in the country increased to 14 last year compared with 11 in 2021, signalling the iPhone maker’s accelerated expansion in the country. It also opened its first two retail outlets in India this year.
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