Apple will start with US-made chips in two years

Apple is gearing up to use US-made chips in its devices. At the moment, most of the semiconductors for iPhones and MacBooks come from Asia, but the first units of a new factory in the state of Arizona should be ready in 2024. CEO Tim Cook made the announcement during a visit to Germany, according to financial news agency Bloomberg.

Cook expects to buy chips in Europe “as plans become clearer”. Apple wants to be less dependent on manufacturing in Asia. For example, 60 percent of required processors now come from Taiwan. TSMC, Apple’s main chip supplier, is located there. “It doesn’t matter what you think. If 60 percent comes from a certain place, that’s not a good strategic position,” Cook said in Germany.

In addition to the TSMC factory near Phoenix, which is slated to be ready in about two years, the Taiwanese chipmaker is considering another massive multibillion-dollar factory, according to business newspaper The Wall Street Journal. The US government is subsidizing more chip production in its own country to reduce its dependence on Asian countries.