Foxconn, Apple’s largest assembly partner, has ordered more than 300 Chinese employees to return from their iPhone factory in India.
Employees have directed the majority of staff members at Foxconn, an iPhone facility in India, to return accounts, with only Taiwanese support staff remaining in the country, the report said.
Bloomberg reported that the motivation behind the order was not immediately clear, but the outlet said Chinese officials are asking regulators to curb knowledge and technical resources from being exported to India in order to maintain the country’s manufacturing weight.
This move comes as Foxconn and other Apple suppliers are increasing manufacturing in India as iPhone manufacturers aim to reduce their hardware dependence on Chinese manufacturing. In May, Foxconn was approved by the Indian government and built a $435 million semiconductor factory in the country.
Apple CEO Tim Cook says the company is importing more iPhones from India as one way of dealing with uncertainty around US tariffs and trade risks.
