Right now, China’s Foxconn factories are shut down, meant to be a temporary response to the spreading coronavirus.
However, it is just a response, and many companies in China are waiting to see what happens next with the spread of the new virus. The current plan will see many businesses re-opening between February 9 and February 10 — including Apple. But there is always the possibility that doesn’t happen, which, according to a new report from Reuters, could lead to some major issues for Apple’s plans for iPhone production.
According to the publication, based on information provided by a person with “direct knowledge of the matter”, Foxconn could see a “big production impact”, adding that shipments to customers like Apple could be disrupted as well. That’s if the temporary factory closures extend into a second week.
The source told Reuters on Monday that Foxconn has so far seen a ‘fairly small impact’ from the outbreak as it was utilizing factories in countries including Vietnam, India and Mexico to fill the gap, adding that the company will be able to make up for the delay if factories work overtime after the ban.
Factories in regions like Suzhou have been told to stay shut until February 8, while others have been instructed to stay closed until February 9. And this is certainly not the first time that we’ve heard that the spreading virus could negatively impact Apple’s iPhone manufacturing plans. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has even gone on record as saying that iPhone shipments could take a big hit in the upcoming quarter.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared the coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency.