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

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

#11

Post by dba7dba »

jean_claude wrote: post #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 quot…

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

Extreme sugar coating with MBA lingos of forced labor camp.

I am GLAD there's no such American plant.

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

#12

Post by dba7dba »

adventured wrote: post #9
WalterBright wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 s…

> extremely non-competitive US corporate tax rate

I'm hearing actual tax rate in real life is not that high, because of all loopholes used by the corporations.

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

#13

Post by aab0 »

jean_claude wrote: post #8
wonkaWonka wrote: post #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) 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.

Some of the points are bogus, like the rare earths thing; they used to be mined in the USA just fine. But China was cheaper, especially since they didn't price in the negative externalities.

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

#14

Post by WalterBright »

adventured wrote: post #9
WalterBright wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 s…

An economic policy based on punishing businesses is not going to work well in the long term.

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

#15

Post by orionblastar »

dba7dba wrote: post #11
jean_claude wrote: post #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 quot…

> “The speed and flexibility is breathtaking,” the executive said. “There’s no American plant that can match that.” Extreme sugar coating with MBA lingos of forced labor camp. I am GLAD there's no such American plant.

Yet. Using cross training on the assembly line basically teach everyone all the positions on the assembly line can cut down on costs and improve quality. Use robots for the hard stuff, use people for the sensitive stuff that needs human hands.

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

#16

Post by dba7dba »

orionblastar wrote: post #15
dba7dba wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> “The speed and flexibility is breathtaking,” the executive said. “There’s no American plant that can match that.” Extreme sugar coating with MBA lingos of forced labor camp. I am GLAD there's no such American plant.

Yet. Using cross training on the assembly line basically teach everyone all the positions on the assembly line can cut down on costs and improve quality. Use robots for the hard stuff, use people for the sensitive stuff that needs human hands.

I'm mostly concerned about waking up 8000 workers middle of the night, and making them work the following 12 hours, because of screw up by someone above them.

And the fact that the American Apple executive admires it with the terms of flexibility and such.

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

#17

Post by snowwrestler »

dba7dba wrote: post #12
adventured wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 s…

> extremely non-competitive US corporate tax rate I'm hearing actual tax rate in real life is not that high, because of all loopholes used by the corporations.

The actual rate is lower because corporations keep so much capital off shore because the nominal rate is so high.

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

#18

Post by daveguy »

MajorLOL wrote: post #3
bdcravens wrote: post #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...

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

Yup. Not done off-shore. Just using illegal immigrants. That shouldn't surprise anyone. As a businessman he would make money and cut corners any way he could and he has been proud of that throughout his campaign. I'm sure he will change and be more presidential after elected.

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

#19

Post by Longwelwind »

I don't know why we want so hard to bring these jobs back (the same way we always try to keep the metallurgic industry in Europe).

These jobs are becoming obsolete, and delocalizing to countries with lower labor costs is only a step before factories become fully automated (and some companies are reshoring because robots are becoming cheaper than outshore workers). The workers here that are left with no job and no marketable skills should be manifesting for an UMI instead of asking to politics & companies to keep the factories here.

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

#20

Post by bdcravens »

MajorLOL wrote: post #3
bdcravens wrote: post #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...

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

The article linked in submission isn't purely about off-shoring; it compares different level of an AmeriPhone: assembled here, parts from here, and source materials from here, detailing cost and practicality along the way.

I seriously doubt that "assembled in America by illegal immigrants" would be in the spirit of Trump's request of Apple, even though that's how he attained the wealth to put himself in the position to make that request.

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