Apple is continuing to push its commitment to improving the American workforce. Their goal is to invest hundreds of billions of dollars into the economy by creating American jobs. The plan to create jobs here was curtailed a little bit as a result of the massive tariffs being placed on China. But once Apple received a tariff exemption, three days later they decided that they would start building their new Mac Pro computers in Austin, Texas.
“The Mac Pro is Apple’s most powerful computer ever and we’re proud to be building it in Austin,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. “We thank the administration for their support enabling this opportunity.”
As of June, it was reported that the production of the Mac Pro would actually be done in China. Pres. Trump’s tariffs going to hit the company too hard. That would make it difficult for Apple to make a profit and as a result, would have to move production overseas. But even the president was angry at Apple for that decision and said in a tweet:
“Apple will not be given Tariff waiver, or relief, for Mac Pro parts that are made in China. Make them in the USA, no Tariffs!” But once Apple reaffirmed their commitment to make the Mac Pro in Austin, it was finally decided that the US trade representatives would indeed give the company a waiver. Most of the main circuit board parts are indeed made in China.
Apple Believes in the Power of American Workers and Innovation
“We believe deeply in the power of American innovation,” Cook continued. “That’s why every Apple product is designed and engineered in the US, and made up of parts from 36 states, supporting 450,000 jobs with US suppliers, and we’re going to continue growing here.”
This machine is going to be one of the most powerful personal computers ever made. The cost of a Mac Pro is going to be $5,999. This is a bit more than the average American is going to spend on a computer, but usually these types of machines are high-powered for the purposes of video and music production.
They also plan on building a new campus north of Austin. This is a $1 billion investment that will create 5,000 jobs in the immediate future with the opportunity to expand 15,000 workers. Many states are involved in making the different component parts that go into this computer. By increasing American production, Apple is really proving their commitment to invest in America.
Trump stated that during a dinner with Cook, he made a compelling argument that many industries are being hurt by Chinese tariffs. We’ll see if this allows for other industries to receive an exemption in exchange for investment in American jobs.
