In an interview with NBC’s Brian Williams this morning, Tim Cook revealed some new information about the future of Apple’s manufacturing. More specifically, he said that ”We’ve (Apple) been working for years on doing more and more in the U.S. Next year, we will do one of our existing Mac lines in the United States”.

This interview came soon after some consumers realized that their new iMacs were “Assembled in USA”. Although Tim Cook did not specifically say which of the Mac products will be making the move to America first, we now have reason to believe that he is talking about the iMac.

Keep in mind that Apple has no manufacturing plants in America. Therefore, we assume that we can look forward to Apple breaking new ground on a facility sometime soon.

As of now, the switch will only pertain to one product line. However, it would not be surprising to see Apple become a much larger manufacturing presence in the United States. On the other hand, we would be shocked if Apple did not keep the majority of its manufacturing in East Asia with Foxconn to fuel China’s growing mobile market, and to also allow Apple to maximize profits by using cheaper labor.

Apple stock is up +8.45 (1.57%) on the day.

Would you like to see Apple assemble more of their products in America? Let us know in the comments below.

[ Source ]

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Looking toward some of the component suppliers that Apple uses, they have indicated that the Cupertino management team have increased “shipment goals” for the iPhone in Q1 2011. The goal was initially set for 19 million units in the first quarter of next year, but now they’re aiming for between 20 and 21 million units.

Now, this is wholly conjecture and speculation, but why would Apple choose to suddenly increase its shipment goals unless it was expecting to suddenly experience an increase in sales? It’s possible that we could be on the cusp of something like an iPhone 4S, but it also quite likely that the 21 million figure factors in more than a few CDMA units coming out of the factory.

To put things into perspective, Apple is expected to wrap up 2010 with a total of 47 million iPhones shipped in the calendar year.

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Why is this noteworthy? Despite the fact that many of our consumer electronics (and consumer goods in general) are manufacturered in China, there’s still a signficant production line going on in Taiwan. Without getting into the politics of whether Taiwan is technically a part of China, we’re expecting to see more production moved to the Mainland China.

This comes by way of Digitimes, which is reporting that several major touch panel makers — like J Touch, Swenc Technology and Transtouch Technology — are planning to open up production plants in China. This follows the profitable business model already used by other similar firms, like Young Fast Optoelectronics, TPK Touch Solutions, Wintek, and Mutto Optronics.

Yes, you might be getting an Apple iPad, Samsung Galaxy S, or RIM PlayBook, but more likely than not, all of those touch panels are coming from the same manufacturers, all parked within the same complex in China.

[DigiTimes]

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Shenzen plant workers manufacturing electronics devices. Photo: ECVV.com

Another Foxconn employee at the Shenzhen plant is dead after falling off a building this Tuesday morning.

With a total workforce in China numbering 800,000, Foxconn is the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer; making devices for leading global electronics brands like Apple and the iPhone.  Shenzhen police confirmed the death, and it’s still under investigation as a possible suicide.  Nine people have died this year in a series of “incidents” among workers, with two failed suicide attempts.

The 300,000 workers at the Shenzhen plant are paid the minimum wage and regularly work heavy overtime.   The iPhone, as the most publicly visible product is under threat of boycott from labour activists in Hong Kong.  Betty Chan of Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour said her group was in touch with activists in Europe over an international boycott campaign against the iPhone from next month.

Terry Gou, founder and chairman of Hon Hai, the Taiwanese parent company of Foxconn, held a press conference at the company’s Longhua plant on Wednesday, after a hurried arrival at Shenzhen to deal with the suicide crisis.   “We are definitely not a sweatshop,” Mr Gou said on Sunday. “At this stage we can only quietly do our job and not make any comments about this issue.  So we will do our best” to improve the situation. “A manufacturing team of 800,000 people is not easy to manage,” he added.

Foxconn has taken steps to set up new counselling and early warning systems, measures that have garnered support from psychiatrists “At least, here’s a company that’s doing something about it,” said Michael Phillips, director of the Suicide Research and Prevention Center at Shanghai Mental Health Center and a professor at Emory University School of Medicine. He also said the suicides appeared to have a “strong imitation factor.”

But labour activists called for more decisive action from the company. “The wages of these workers should be raised to decent levels so they won’t feel they need to rely on overtime,” said Geoffrey Crothall of China Labour Bulletin. “That would give them time to socialize, relax and work through whatever issues they have.”

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