唐納德·特朗普領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的政府認(rèn)為,,針對(duì)中國的關(guān)稅大棒將迫使蘋果公司(Apple)首次在美國生產(chǎn)iPhone手機(jī)。
即使當(dāng)前美國對(duì)中國制造商品征收的關(guān)稅稅率已高達(dá)145%,,這一愿景仍遙不可及——畢竟自18年前初代iPhone問世以來,,該產(chǎn)品的絕大多數(shù)制造環(huán)節(jié)始終留在中國,。
蘋果不愿意將生產(chǎn)線遷回美國的主要原因,在于其自上世紀(jì)90年代起在中國構(gòu)建的復(fù)雜供應(yīng)鏈網(wǎng)絡(luò),。在美國新建工廠不僅需要數(shù)年時(shí)間和數(shù)十億美元投入,,還將迫使蘋果直面可能使iPhone價(jià)格翻三倍的經(jīng)濟(jì)壓力,重創(chuàng)其拳頭產(chǎn)品的銷售,。
韋德布什證券(Wedbush Securities)分析師丹·艾夫斯斷言:“在美國制造iPhone手機(jī)根本行不通,。”這正是眾多密切關(guān)注蘋果的投資界普遍認(rèn)可的觀點(diǎn),。艾夫斯估算,,當(dāng)前在中國或印度生產(chǎn)的iPhone手機(jī)售價(jià)為1,000美元,若轉(zhuǎn)移至美國生產(chǎn),,價(jià)格將飆升至3,000美元以上,。他認(rèn)為最早要到2028年才可能實(shí)現(xiàn)本土生產(chǎn),“價(jià)格漲幅之大令人難以想象,?!?/p>
蘋果公司上周三未回應(yīng)置評(píng)請(qǐng)求。這家總部位于加州庫比蒂諾的科技巨頭尚未公開談?wù)撫槍?duì)特朗普對(duì)華關(guān)稅政策的應(yīng)對(duì)方案,,但5月1日討論公司財(cái)務(wù)業(yè)績和戰(zhàn)略的季度財(cái)報(bào)電話會(huì)議上,,當(dāng)首席執(zhí)行官蒂姆·庫克回答分析師的問題時(shí),這一話題可能被提及,。
鑒于自特朗普4月2日加征關(guān)稅以來,,蘋果股價(jià)已下跌15%、市值蒸發(fā)5,000億美元,,中國關(guān)稅無疑將成為焦點(diǎn)議題,。
若關(guān)稅政策持續(xù),市場普遍預(yù)期蘋果最終將提高iPhone手機(jī)及其他暢銷品的售價(jià),,因其供應(yīng)鏈過度集中于中國,、印度等卷入不斷升級(jí)的貿(mào)易戰(zhàn)漩渦的海外市場。
關(guān)鍵問題在于:在關(guān)稅壓力蠶食公司利潤率甚至公司難以承受要求消費(fèi)者承擔(dān)部分負(fù)擔(dān)之前,,蘋果能維持現(xiàn)價(jià)多久,。
弗雷斯特研究公司(Forrester Research)分析師迪潘詹·查特吉指出,蘋果在現(xiàn)有中國關(guān)稅下能夠堅(jiān)持不調(diào)價(jià)的一個(gè)主要原因是,,其通過訂閱服務(wù)等產(chǎn)品相關(guān)業(yè)務(wù)持續(xù)獲取巨額收入,。該部門在上一財(cái)年創(chuàng)收960億美元,且不受特朗普關(guān)稅影響,。
查特吉表示:“蘋果可以消化部分關(guān)稅導(dǎo)致的成本上升,,至少在短期內(nèi)不會(huì)造成重大財(cái)務(wù)影響。”
今年2月,,蘋果宣布計(jì)劃2028年前在美國投資5,000億美元,、新增2萬個(gè)就業(yè)崗位,以安撫特朗普,,但這些承諾均未涉及iPhone本土化生產(chǎn),。相反,蘋果承諾資助休斯頓數(shù)據(jù)中心建設(shè)以支持人工智能開發(fā),。人工智能是當(dāng)前全行業(yè)競相追逐的技術(shù)領(lǐng)域,。
本周,當(dāng)被問及特朗普是否相信蘋果有意在美國制造iPhone時(shí),,白宮新聞秘書卡羅琳·萊維特以蘋果的投資承諾作為佐證,,證明該公司認(rèn)為這是可行的。萊維特說道:“若蘋果認(rèn)為在美國無法實(shí)現(xiàn)iPhone制造,,他們恐怕不會(huì)為此投入巨資,。”
美國商務(wù)部長霍華德·路特尼克4月6日接受CBS新聞節(jié)目采訪時(shí)也預(yù)言,,關(guān)稅將帶動(dòng)制造業(yè)回流,。路特尼克表示:“那些數(shù)以百萬計(jì)參與iPhone精密組裝的產(chǎn)業(yè)大軍將來到美國?!?
但2017年,,庫克曾在中國廣州舉辦的《財(cái)富》全球論壇上質(zhì)疑,美國勞動(dòng)力是否具備從事此類精細(xì)枯燥工作所需的職業(yè)技能,。
庫克表示:“在美國召集模具工程師開會(huì),,恐怕連房間都坐不滿。但在中國,,能填滿好幾個(gè)足球場,。”
特朗普在首個(gè)總統(tǒng)任期內(nèi)也曾施壓蘋果將iPhone生產(chǎn)遷美,,但未獲成功,。當(dāng)時(shí)政府最終將iPhone排除在對(duì)華關(guān)稅清單之外。在此期間,,蘋果宣布將在美投資3,500億美元。特朗普首個(gè)任期的對(duì)華關(guān)稅促使蘋果開始將部分iPhone生產(chǎn)線轉(zhuǎn)移至印度,、將其他產(chǎn)品的部分生產(chǎn)線遷往越南,。
2019年,庫克曾陪同特朗普參觀德克薩斯州某工廠,。蘋果自2013年起在此組裝部分Mac電腦,。參觀結(jié)束后,特朗普很快將奧巴馬任內(nèi)啟用的這座工廠歸功于己。2019年11月19日,,特朗普在社交媒體宣稱:“今天我參加了蘋果公司位于德克薩斯州的一個(gè)大型制造工廠的剪彩儀式,,這將為美國帶回高薪工作崗位?!保ㄘ?cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:劉進(jìn)龍
審校:汪皓
唐納德·特朗普領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的政府認(rèn)為,,針對(duì)中國的關(guān)稅大棒將迫使蘋果公司(Apple)首次在美國生產(chǎn)iPhone手機(jī)。
即使當(dāng)前美國對(duì)中國制造商品征收的關(guān)稅稅率已高達(dá)145%,,這一愿景仍遙不可及——畢竟自18年前初代iPhone問世以來,,該產(chǎn)品的絕大多數(shù)制造環(huán)節(jié)始終留在中國。
蘋果不愿意將生產(chǎn)線遷回美國的主要原因,,在于其自上世紀(jì)90年代起在中國構(gòu)建的復(fù)雜供應(yīng)鏈網(wǎng)絡(luò),。在美國新建工廠不僅需要數(shù)年時(shí)間和數(shù)十億美元投入,還將迫使蘋果直面可能使iPhone價(jià)格翻三倍的經(jīng)濟(jì)壓力,,重創(chuàng)其拳頭產(chǎn)品的銷售,。
韋德布什證券(Wedbush Securities)分析師丹·艾夫斯斷言:“在美國制造iPhone手機(jī)根本行不通?!边@正是眾多密切關(guān)注蘋果的投資界普遍認(rèn)可的觀點(diǎn),。艾夫斯估算,當(dāng)前在中國或印度生產(chǎn)的iPhone手機(jī)售價(jià)為1,000美元,,若轉(zhuǎn)移至美國生產(chǎn),,價(jià)格將飆升至3,000美元以上。他認(rèn)為最早要到2028年才可能實(shí)現(xiàn)本土生產(chǎn),,“價(jià)格漲幅之大令人難以想象,。”
蘋果公司上周三未回應(yīng)置評(píng)請(qǐng)求,。這家總部位于加州庫比蒂諾的科技巨頭尚未公開談?wù)撫槍?duì)特朗普對(duì)華關(guān)稅政策的應(yīng)對(duì)方案,,但5月1日討論公司財(cái)務(wù)業(yè)績和戰(zhàn)略的季度財(cái)報(bào)電話會(huì)議上,當(dāng)首席執(zhí)行官蒂姆·庫克回答分析師的問題時(shí),,這一話題可能被提及,。
鑒于自特朗普4月2日加征關(guān)稅以來,蘋果股價(jià)已下跌15%,、市值蒸發(fā)5,000億美元,,中國關(guān)稅無疑將成為焦點(diǎn)議題。
若關(guān)稅政策持續(xù),,市場普遍預(yù)期蘋果最終將提高iPhone手機(jī)及其他暢銷品的售價(jià),,因其供應(yīng)鏈過度集中于中國、印度等卷入不斷升級(jí)的貿(mào)易戰(zhàn)漩渦的海外市場,。
關(guān)鍵問題在于:在關(guān)稅壓力蠶食公司利潤率甚至公司難以承受要求消費(fèi)者承擔(dān)部分負(fù)擔(dān)之前,,蘋果能維持現(xiàn)價(jià)多久。
弗雷斯特研究公司(Forrester Research)分析師迪潘詹·查特吉指出,蘋果在現(xiàn)有中國關(guān)稅下能夠堅(jiān)持不調(diào)價(jià)的一個(gè)主要原因是,,其通過訂閱服務(wù)等產(chǎn)品相關(guān)業(yè)務(wù)持續(xù)獲取巨額收入,。該部門在上一財(cái)年創(chuàng)收960億美元,且不受特朗普關(guān)稅影響,。
查特吉表示:“蘋果可以消化部分關(guān)稅導(dǎo)致的成本上升,,至少在短期內(nèi)不會(huì)造成重大財(cái)務(wù)影響?!?/p>
今年2月,,蘋果宣布計(jì)劃2028年前在美國投資5,000億美元、新增2萬個(gè)就業(yè)崗位,,以安撫特朗普,,但這些承諾均未涉及iPhone本土化生產(chǎn)。相反,,蘋果承諾資助休斯頓數(shù)據(jù)中心建設(shè)以支持人工智能開發(fā),。人工智能是當(dāng)前全行業(yè)競相追逐的技術(shù)領(lǐng)域。
本周,,當(dāng)被問及特朗普是否相信蘋果有意在美國制造iPhone時(shí),,白宮新聞秘書卡羅琳·萊維特以蘋果的投資承諾作為佐證,證明該公司認(rèn)為這是可行的,。萊維特說道:“若蘋果認(rèn)為在美國無法實(shí)現(xiàn)iPhone制造,,他們恐怕不會(huì)為此投入巨資?!?/p>
美國商務(wù)部長霍華德·路特尼克4月6日接受CBS新聞節(jié)目采訪時(shí)也預(yù)言,,關(guān)稅將帶動(dòng)制造業(yè)回流。路特尼克表示:“那些數(shù)以百萬計(jì)參與iPhone精密組裝的產(chǎn)業(yè)大軍將來到美國,?!?
但2017年,庫克曾在中國廣州舉辦的《財(cái)富》全球論壇上質(zhì)疑,,美國勞動(dòng)力是否具備從事此類精細(xì)枯燥工作所需的職業(yè)技能,。
庫克表示:“在美國召集模具工程師開會(huì),恐怕連房間都坐不滿,。但在中國,,能填滿好幾個(gè)足球場?!?
特朗普在首個(gè)總統(tǒng)任期內(nèi)也曾施壓蘋果將iPhone生產(chǎn)遷美,,但未獲成功。當(dāng)時(shí)政府最終將iPhone排除在對(duì)華關(guān)稅清單之外,。在此期間,蘋果宣布將在美投資3,500億美元。特朗普首個(gè)任期的對(duì)華關(guān)稅促使蘋果開始將部分iPhone生產(chǎn)線轉(zhuǎn)移至印度,、將其他產(chǎn)品的部分生產(chǎn)線遷往越南,。
2019年,庫克曾陪同特朗普參觀德克薩斯州某工廠,。蘋果自2013年起在此組裝部分Mac電腦,。參觀結(jié)束后,特朗普很快將奧巴馬任內(nèi)啟用的這座工廠歸功于己,。2019年11月19日,,特朗普在社交媒體宣稱:“今天我參加了蘋果公司位于德克薩斯州的一個(gè)大型制造工廠的剪彩儀式,這將為美國帶回高薪工作崗位,?!保ㄘ?cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:劉進(jìn)龍
審校:汪皓
President Donald Trump’s administration has been predicting its barrage of tariffs targeting China will push Apple into manufacturing the iPhone in the United States for the first time.
But that’s an unlikely scenario even with U.S tariffs now standing at 145% on products made in China — the country where Apple has manufactured most of its iPhones since the first model hit the market 18 years ago.
The disincentives for Apple shifting its production domestically include a complex supply chain that it began building in China during the 1990s. It would take several years and cost billions of dollars to build new plants in the U.S., and then confront Apple with economic forces that could triple the price of an iPhone, threatening to torpedo sales of its marquee product.
“The concept of making iPhones in the U.S. is a non-starter,” asserted Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives, reflecting a widely held view in the investment community that tracks Apple’s every move. He estimated that the current $1,000 price tag for an iPhone made in China, or India, would soar to more than $3,000 if production shifted to the U.S. And he believes that moving production domestically likely couldn’t be done until, at the earliest, 2028. “Price points would move so dramatically, it’s hard to comprehend.”
Apple didn’t respond to a request for comment Wednesday. The Cupertino, California, company has yet to publicly discuss its response to Trump’s tariffs on China, but the topic may come up on May 1 when Apple CEO Tim Cook is scheduled to field questions from analysts during a quarterly conference call to discuss the company’s financial results and strategy.
And there is no doubt the China tariffs will be a hot-button issue given Apple’s stock price has dropped by 15% and lowered the company’s market value by $500 billion since Trump began increasing them on April 2.
If the tariffs hold, Apple is widely expected to eventually raise the prices on iPhones and other popular products because the Silicon Valley’s supply chain is so heavily concentrated in China, India and other overseas markets caught in the crossfire of the escalating trade war.
The big question is how long Apple might be willing to hold the line on its current prices before the tariffs’ toll on the company’s profit margins become too much to bear and consumers are asked to shoulder some of the burden.
One of the main reasons that Apple has wiggle room to hold the line on its current iPhone pricing while the China tariffs remain in place is because the company continues to reap huge profit margins from the revenue generated by the subscriptions and other services tied to its product, said Forrester Research analyst Dipanjan Chatterjee. That division, which collected $96 billion in revenue during Apple’s last fiscal year, remains untouched by Trump’s tariffs.
“Apple can absorb some of the tariff-induced cost increases without significant financial impact, at least in the short term,” Chatterjee said.
Apple tried to appease Trump in February by announcing plans to spend $500 billion and hire 20,000 people in the U.S. through 2028, but none of it was tied to making an iPhone domestically. Instead, Apple pledged to fund a Houston data center for computer servers powering artificial intelligence — a technology the company is expanding into as part of an industrywide craze.
When asked this week about whether Trump believes Apple intends to build iPhones in the U.S., White House Press Secretary Karoline Levitt pointed to Apple’s investment promise as evidence that the company thinks it could be done. “If Apple didn’t think the United States could do it, they probably wouldn’t have put up that big chunk of change,” Leavitt said.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick also predicted tariffs would force a manufacturing shift during an April 6 appearance on a CBS news program. “The army of millions and millions of human beings screwing in little screws to make iPhones, that kind of thing is going to come to America,” Lutnick said.
But during a 2017 appearance at a conference in China, Cook expressed doubt about whether the U.S. labor pool had enough workers with the vocational skills required to do the painstaking and tedious work that Lutnick was discussing.
“In the U.S. you could have a meeting of tooling engineers and I’m not sure we could fill the room,” Cook said. “In China, you could fill multiple football fields.”
Trump also tried to pressure Apple, to no avail, into shifting iPhone production to the U.S. during his first term as president. But the administration ultimately exempted the iPhone from the tariffs he imposed on China back then — a period when Apple had announced a commitment to invest $350 billion in the U.S. Trump’s first-term tariffs on China also prompted Apple to begin a process that led to some of its current iPhones being made in India and some of its other products being manufactured in Vietnam.
Cook also took the president on a 2019 tour of a Texas plant where Apple had been assembling some of its Mac computers since 2013. Shortly after finishing that our, Trump took credit for the plant that Apple had opened while Barack Obama was president. “Today I opened a major Apple Manufacturing plant in Texas that will bring high paying jobs back to America,” Trump posted on Nov. 19, 2019.