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What would it cost Apple to make iPhones in the U.S.?

technologyreview.com

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Re: What would it cost Apple to make iPhones in the U.S.?

#2
"Donald Trump says that if he becomes president, he will “get Apple to start making their computers and their iPhones on our land, not in China.”"

Perhaps Trump's next construction should be 100% American as well, as opposed to his previous ones:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/07/08/trump-tower...

Re: What would it cost Apple to make iPhones in the U.S.?

#3

"Donald Trump says that if he becomes president, he will “get Apple to start making their computers and their iPhones on our land, not in China.”" Perhaps Trump's next construction should be 100% American as well, as opposed to his previous ones: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/07/08/trump-tower...

You got me. I admit, I clicked wondering what aspect of the construction was done off-shore. Then I realized it wasn't.

Re: What would it cost Apple to make iPhones in the U.S.?

#4
I thought that Trump's idea (Scenario 4?) was to raise the import/tariff fee so that it would essentially cost the same regardless of where it was manufactured. Another option would be to eliminate things like NAFTA. I'm not saying these are good ideas (in fact they may be terrible), I just want to point out additional scenarios.

Re: What would it cost Apple to make iPhones in the U.S.?

#5

  According to King at the Ames Lab, 
  an iPhone has about 75 elements in it,
  two-thirds of the periodic table.
I'm really going to need some percentages of mass here.

The thing that lands in the box. Not the catalysts, and substances required for processes used during manufacture.

If I'm not holding it in my hands, right now, it doesn't make the list.

  01. H   (1) Hydrogen
  02. He  (2) Helium
  03. Li  (3) Lithium
  04. B   (5) Boron
  05. C   (6) Carbon
  06. N   (7) Nitrogen
  07. O   (8) Oxygen
  08. F   (9) Flourine
  09. Na (11) Sodium
  10. Mg (12) Magnesium
  11. Al (13) Aluminum
  12. Si (14) Silicon
  13. P  (15) Phosphorus
  14. S  (16) Sulfur
  15. Cl (17) Chlorine
  16. Ca (20) Calcium
  17. Sc (21) Scandium
  18. Ti (22) Titanium
  19. V  (23) Vanadium
  20. Cr (24) Chromium
  21. Mn (25) Manganese
  22. Fe (26) Iron
  23. Co (27) Cobalt
  24. Ni (28) Nickel
  25. Cu (29) Copper
  26. Zn (30) Zinc
  27. Ga (31) Gallium
  28. Ge (32) Germanium
  29. As (33) Arsenic
  30. Se (34) Selenium
  31. Br (35) Bromine
  32. Sr (38) Strontium
  33. Y  (39) Yttrium
  34. Zr (40) Zirconium
  35. Nb (41) Niobium
  36. Mo (42) Molybdenum
  37. Ru (44) Ruthenium
  38. Rh (45) Rhodium
  39. Pd (46) Palladium
  40. Ag (47) Silver
  41. Cd (48) Cadmium
  42. In (49) Indium
  43. Sn (50) Tin
  44. Sb (51) Antimony
  45. Te (52) Tellurium
  46. Ba (56) Barium
  47. La (57) Lanthanum
  48. Hf (72) Hafnium
  49. Ta (73) Tantalum
  50. W  (74) Tungsten
  51. Re (75) Rhenium
  52. Os (76) Osmium
  53. Ir (77) Iridium
  54. Pt (78) Platinum
  55. Au (79) Gold
  56. Hg (80) Mercury
  57. Tl (81) Thallium
  58. Bi (83) Bismuth
  59. Po (84) Polonium
  60. Rn (86) Radon
  61. Ce (58) Cerium
  62. Pr (59) Praseodymium
  63. Nd (60) Neodymium
  64. Sm (61) Promethium
  65. Eu (63) Europium
  66. Gd (64) Gadolinium
  67. Tb (65) Terbium
  68. Dy (66) Dysprosium
  69. Ho (67) Holmium
  70. Er (68) Erbium
  71. Tm (69) Thulium
  72. Yb (70) Ytterbium
  73. Lu (71) Lutetium
Some of those I'm not buying into.

Re: What would it cost Apple to make iPhones in the U.S.?

#6

I thought that Trump's idea (Scenario 4?) was to raise the import/tariff fee so that it would essentially cost the same regardless of where it was manufactured. Another option would be to eliminate things like NAFTA. I'm not saying these are good ideas (in fact they may be terrible), I just want to point out additional scenarios.

A better approach would be to make it attractive to operate in the US.

Re: What would it cost Apple to make iPhones in the U.S.?

#7
It isn't just the cost that's an issue, it's the fact that American workers are not as... flexible... on what constitutes an acceptable work/life balance. Would you do what these workers ( http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/business/apple-america-and... ) do if you had any other opportunity at all? Labor laws aside, could they pay you enough to live and work like this and still make an affordable device?

Relevant quote from article:

Apple had redesigned the iPhone’s screen at the last minute, forcing an assembly line overhaul. New screens began arriving at the plant near midnight.

A foreman immediately roused 8,000 workers inside the company’s dormitories, according to the executive. Each employee was given a biscuit and a cup of tea, guided to a workstation and within half an hour started a 12-hour shift fitting glass screens into beveled frames. Within 96 hours, the plant was producing over 10,000 iPhones a day.

“The speed and flexibility is breathtaking,” the executive said. “There’s no American plant that can match that.”

Re: What would it cost Apple to make iPhones in the U.S.?

#8

According to King at the Ames Lab, an iPhone has about 75 elements in it, two-thirds of the periodic table. I'm really going to need some percentages of mass here. The thing that lands in the box. Not the catalysts, and substances required for processes used during manufacture. If I'm not holding it in my hands, right now, it doesn't make the list. 01. H (1) Hydrogen 02. He (2) Helium 03. Li (3) Lithium 04. B (5) Bor…

I think the takeaway from his statements are that it is virtually impossible to source the necessary raw materials that go into producing modern electronics from any one country.

Re: What would it cost Apple to make iPhones in the U.S.?

#9

I thought that Trump's idea (Scenario 4?) was to raise the import/tariff fee so that it would essentially cost the same regardless of where it was manufactured. Another option would be to eliminate things like NAFTA. I'm not saying these are good ideas (in fact they may be terrible), I just want to point out additional scenarios.

A better approach would be to make it attractive to operate in the US.

I don't support Trump's plans regarding tariffs / trade, however he is also supporting slashing the extremely non-competitive US corporate tax rate. Doing that - bringing it down to levels comparable to European rivals - would instantly make the US a lot more attractive to operate in.

And unfortunately while Bill Clinton strongly supports slashing the corporate tax rate, Hillary is just as strongly opposed to doing so.

Re: What would it cost Apple to make iPhones in the U.S.?

#10

According to King at the Ames Lab, an iPhone has about 75 elements in it, two-thirds of the periodic table. I'm really going to need some percentages of mass here. The thing that lands in the box. Not the catalysts, and substances required for processes used during manufacture. If I'm not holding it in my hands, right now, it doesn't make the list. 01. H (1) Hydrogen 02. He (2) Helium 03. Li (3) Lithium 04. B (5) Bor…

> If I'm not holding it in my hands, right now, it doesn't make the list.

I don't see why things that are used during manufacture but do not end up in your hand should be excluded. The question being asked in that section of the article is whether or not the product could be produced entirely with materials and labor from the US, and so everything involved in making it should count.

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