Apple Manufacturing Some Early Run iMacs in the United States

[Phillip Swanson]

Photo Courtesy of iFixit

Apple is assembling iMacs in the United States of America.

You read that right, some of the early run iMacs being delivered to users include the same text printed on the iMac iFixit received for their teardown. The back of the iMac reads “Designed in California, Assembled in USA.”

This wouldn’t be such a big deal if Apple hadn’t closed all of its US production facilities previously located in places like Elk Grove and Fremont, California and Fountain, Colorado. Apple’s products are designed in California, but have not been manufactured state side in some time.

Sorting the whole mess out is something Apple can explain better than the rest of us, but 9toMac has been able to confirm earlier generation iMacs have come in boxes with “Assembled in USA” printed on the side. The US Federal Trade Commission is very clear on what it takes for a product to earn the "Assembled in USA" stamp.

“A product that includes foreign components may be called 'Assembled in USA' without qualification when its principal assembly takes place in the U.S. and the assembly is substantial. For the 'assembly' claim to be valid, the product's last 'substantial transformation' also should have occurred in the U.S. That's why a 'screwdriver' assembly in the U.S. of foreign components into a final product at the end of the manufacturing process doesn't usually qualify for the 'Assembled in USA' claim." — FTC

Apple’s iMacs must have met these qualifications. How they’re doing that is anyone’s guess, but 9to5Mac speculates that Apple is likely manufacturing early runs of the new iMacs in the USA to get “kinks out” before outsourcing the process to Foxconn and their other partners. Considering the numerous design changes and innovations in the new iMacs, the fact Apple wants to perfect the process here in the U.S. before shipping that responsibility over seas makes sense.

Source: 9to5Mac, iFixit [via TUAW]

[stevelucky]

Let's hope this begins a major trend...

[iH85CH001]

Let's hope this begins a major trend...

+1 I agree totally.

[og_mudbone]

"Apple is assembly iMacs in the United States of America. "
"You read that right..."

It's funny because I didn't even realize it said "Apple is assembly iMacs...", but when I saw "You read that right..." I went back, re-read it and realized what it said. Haha

[antonybasso]

yes I agree too totally

[Hondamaker]

"Apple is assembly iMacs in the United States of America. "
"You read that right..."

It's funny because I didn't even realize it said "Apple is assembly iMacs...", but when I saw "You read that right..." I went back, re-read it and realized what it said. Haha

Maybe Phillip was the originator of 'all your base are belong to us'. Lol

[Am_I_Evil]

"Apple is assembly iMacs in the United States of America."

[JedixJarf]

"Apple is assembly iMacs in the United States of America."

Some sort of peer review/proof reading really needs to be implemented on this site. The article is not bad but there is a sore thumb sticking out just a couple lines into the article ruining the rest of the content. Just my

[ddarxide]

Some sort of peer review/proof reading really needs to be implemented on this site. The article is not bad but there is a sore thumb sticking out just a couple lines into the article ruining the rest of the content. Just my

damn autocorrect ... lol

[Chase Hainey]

Hopefully this will get some bums off the couch while waiting for unemployment checks and do something useful for our country. With a bank of 400 billion dollars, they might as well spend some of it here in the US. Not only is it awful that they use such cheap labor overseas, it's even worse I still buy their products knowing this...

[Silverado1987]

Hopefully this will get some bums off the couch while waiting for unemployment checks and do something useful for our country. With a bank of 400 billion dollars, they might as well spend some of it here in the US. Not only is it awful that they use such cheap labor overseas, it's even worse I still buy their products knowing this...

I bet cheap labor overseas is a big reason why they have 400 billion. But I too hope this can be a USA thing. I know a lot of unemployed people who are happy to sit at home and collect. I bet half of who are unemployed dont want to work that's our problem.

[cmwade77]

I agree, it probably adds about 5% to their cost, considering the high profit margins on these machines, why not assemble it in the USA? They would win over a fair number of people that way and in all reality probably sell a lot more machines.