Foxconn tells hundreds of Chinese staff to leave India iPhone factory

Foxconn, a company that manufactures iPhones in partnership with Apple, has reportedly ordered the repatriation of more than 300 Chinese employees from its iPhone factory in India, leaving behind mostly Taiwanese support staff.

Foxconn Pulls Chinese Staff From India in Hurdle for Apple (AAPL) - Bloomberg

According to information obtained by Bloomberg from anonymous sources, Chinese workers at an iPhone factory in India have been ordered to return home, with more than 300 Chinese workers leaving the factory. It is unclear why such an order was given.

Bloomberg reported that 'the move follows a recommendation from the Chinese government in early 2025 to prevent technology from leaking overseas, and could potentially be an attempt to prevent Chinese technology from reaching India.'

Foxconn is a Taiwanese company that also has factories in China, but it has been pointed out that the Chinese government is monitoring the company, as evidenced by the incident in which four Taiwanese employees were arrested at a Chinese factory for 'crimes similar to breach of trust.'

Taiwan authorities announce that China is detaining workers at Foxconn's iPhone factory - GIGAZINE

Bloomberg points out that the order comes at a 'bad time for Foxconn' as the company is building a new iPhone factory in southern India and expanding production of the next-generation iPhone 17.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has previously praised the skills and expertise of Chinese assembly workers, highlighting their capabilities as the reason the company has placed the majority of its manufacturing there.

Apple has mainly based its manufacturing bases in Southeast Asia due to factors such as worker capabilities, costs, and supply chains, but is reportedly caught between President Donald Trump's idea that 'iPhones should be manufactured in the United States.'

President Trump pressures Apple to impose 25% tariffs on iPhones if they are not manufactured in the U.S., plans to apply the same tariffs to other manufacturers such as Samsung - GIGAZINE