Apple Returns to America, Taiwan Companies return Home

Apple Returns to America, Taiwan Companies return Home
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
December 13, 2012

Summary: Early last year, Obama called on U.S. companies to return to the United States to set up production plants, and create jobs in the local community. Apple CEO Steve Jobs responded bluntly. "Those jobs aren't coming back." Jobs died little more than a year later. His successor Tim Cook has announced that he will spend 100 million U.S. dollars on the creation of a MAC computer production line in the United States. Can Cook complete this "Mission Impossible," one that strongman Steve Jobs swore he could not? 

Full text below:

Early last year, Obama called on U.S. companies to return to the United States to set up production plants, and create jobs in the local community. Apple CEO Steve Jobs responded bluntly. "Those jobs aren't coming back." Jobs died little more than a year later. His successor Tim Cook has announced that he will spend 100 million U.S. dollars on the creation of a MAC computer production line in the United States. Can Cook complete this "Mission Impossible," one that strongman Steve Jobs swore he could not? 

Jobs are being lost, and not only in the U.S. Industrialized nations the world over have suffered a loss of manufacturing jobs. These losses have even led to the shrinking of the middle class. The Taiwan region has had to swallow a bitter pill as well. Bringing factories back home from places where labor is relatively cheap means higher costs, supply-chain disruptions, reduced competitiveness, and other challenges. That is why Jobs said "Those jobs aren't coming back." Today Cook has vowed to set up factories in the United States. If so, he must overcome these barriers. Only then will Apple's "return to the United States " have any real meaning.

The news spread that Apple production was returning home to the U.S. Many in the US welcomed the prospect. But others are dubious. They dismissed this as just another Apple PR campaign, in response to outside pressure. The Department of Justice has accused Apple attempting to fix e-book prices. Apple has been criticized for reaping huge profits from cheap labor in Mainland China, and of hiding tens of billions of dollars in overseas tax havens. Obama has criticized Apple for unfairness to the average U.S. taxpayer. Therefore, Apple is moving some production back home to the United States. This will dispel at least some of the social pressure, and soften accusations of exploitation.

Apple has the largest market cap of any corporation in the world. Apple has a market value of 500 billion U.S. dollars. Investing 100 million in the U.S. is a drop in the bucket. If this can change society's impression, the investment will be a bargain. But given Apple's record, such simplistic attempts to improve public relations are unlikely to win over many Americans. Apple needs to do more. It needs to rehabilitate the "Made in USA" label. It needs to demonstrate the efficiency and competitiveness of American production. It must dispel the curse that manufacturing isn't going to return to America. That is Apple's real challenge. Apple has been highly profitable. But it must face its corporate responsibility.

Cook disclosed few details regarding the planned investments. But when Hon Hai came to the United States and set up factories, it left a number of clues. Apple is returning to the U.S. But it is not acting alone. Part of the production chain is moving there with it. Manufacturing and assembly requires a cluster effect and an umbilical cord. Only this will meet US government requirements for the "Made in USA" label. Apple has invested 100 million U.S. dollars. If it can persuade downstream manufacturers to follow suit, it will have a multiplier effect on production and employment. If Apple can bring MAC production back to the U.S., and successfully make the leap to iTV production in the United States, that will constitute an even greater victory.

Hon Hai, Quanta, and other Taiwan-funded enterprises have long acted as Apple assembly plants and served as Apple component suppliers. If they follow in Apple's footsteps and move to the United States, they can no longer avail themselves of Mainland China's cheap and obedient labor. They will have to seek higher levels of automation and management to reduce production costs. This may present Taiwan's IT industry with an opportunity to undergo transformation. If it can create modes of production other than the Mainland's armies of factory workers, Taiwan foundries may be able to escape the fate of low margin OEM producers. Apple uses a single production line model. This is an important economic experiment. It tests the bottom line capabilities of various enterprises.

Now consider Taiwan. The Ma administration is vigorously promoting its "salmon returning home" plan. It is comparable to Obama's attempt to create more jobs for people in the United States. Many Taiwan companies are affected. Taiwan lacks a world leader such as Apple Computer. But many Taiwan businessmen are experienced in international business. They want to give something back to the community. They understand the Taiwan business model and local business conditions. Therefore in the long-term, individual Taiwan businessmen returning home will be able to create jobs, production, or exports, They will be able to catalyze industry and create a coat tails effect.

Obama is not the only one who wants to "bring manufacturing back to the U.S." This is a challenge for enterprises the world. When all manufacturing moves to low-cost regions, what will happen to the working class in developed countries? How will they maintain balance in the economic structure? Today this problem has been laid at Apple's doorstep. How will it solve the problem? How will it rid itself of the sweatshop label? This will present a major challenge.

從蘋果回美設廠到台商鮭魚返鄉
【聯合報╱社論】
2012.12.13 01:48 am

歐巴馬去年初呼籲美國大企業回美設廠生產，在本土創造就業機會；當時蘋果公司執行長賈伯斯向他直言：「那些工作回不來了」。在賈伯斯逝世一年多後，其接班人庫克宣布斥資一億美元，在美國開設一條MAC電腦生產線。庫克能完成強人賈伯斯認為的「不可能任務」嗎？

工作機會流失的問題，不唯美國如此，全球工業國都因製造業外移而深受其害，甚至導致中產階級的萎縮，台灣亦飽嘗苦果。然而，要企業把工廠從土地、勞工相對便宜的地區遷回國內，立刻要面臨成本升高、供應鍊斷裂、競爭力下降等諸多挑戰，這正是賈伯斯所謂「回不來了」的原因。而今庫克宣示回美設廠，意味他必須克服上述層層阻障，才可能賦予「蘋果重返美國」實質的意義。

對於蘋果生產線「返美」的消息，美國各界多表歡迎，但也有不少人抱著半信半疑的看法，認為這只是蘋果因應外界壓力的「公關策略」之一。蘋果今年遭司法部指控企圖操控電子書價格，輿論批評它靠榨取中國廉價勞工獲取暴利，包括將數百億美元資金留在海外避稅，也遭歐巴馬批評對美國一般納稅人不公。因此，蘋果將若干生產工作移回美國，至少有助消除部分社會壓力，緩解「剝削」之譏。

作為全球市值最大的公司，蘋果擁有五千億美元市值，斥資一億美元返美投資不過是九牛之一毛；如能因此改變社會對它的印象，當然是划算的投資。但以蘋果一向的企圖，若僅滿足於「改善公共關係」這樣簡單的目標，便未免太過淺薄，也無法贏得美國人的尊重；它要做的，不僅是重新賦予「美國製造」的標籤意義，而且要展現「美國生產」的效率和競爭力，打破製造業「有去無回」的詛咒，那才是蘋果真正核心的挑戰。簡單地說，蘋果在大發利市之餘，必須面對自己作為大企業的「社會責任」。

儘管庫克未透露太多投資細節，但從鴻海隨即傳出將赴美設廠，不難看出若干端倪：蘋果返美其實不是單獨行動，而是有部分的產業鍊配合移動。一方面，這是製造業生產裝配必須營造的群聚效應及臍帶關係；另一方面，這樣才能滿足美國政府對「美國製造」商品的自製率要求。換句話說，蘋果一億美元的投資，若能帶動上下游廠商的投資配合，對生產和就業的推升將是以乘數效果計算的。而蘋果若能藉由MAC產線的返美順利躍向iTV的在美生產，那才是更大的成功。

鴻海、廣達等台資企業一向是蘋果重要的組裝廠及零組件供應商，如果要追隨蘋果的腳步移向美國，自不可能再有中國那樣便宜而聽話的勞力可用，而必須藉助更高階的自動化設計及管理來降低生產成本。從這個觀點看，這倒不失為台灣資訊產業尋求蛻變、轉型的契機，若能創造出有別於在大陸工廠的百萬勞工大軍生產模式，台灣代工廠或者能擺脫「毛三到四」的宿命。而蘋果這種「一條生產線先行」的模式，毋寧是一個重要的經濟實驗，測試著各個企業到底有多少能耐。

回看台灣，馬政府正大力推動的「鮭魚返鄉」計畫，跟歐巴馬想為美國人民創造更多就業機會的企圖其實不相上下，而響應的台商亦不在少數。台灣也許缺乏像蘋果電腦那樣全球首屈一指的企業作為領軍，但許多台商富有國際商戰的經驗，具有回饋鄉土的動機和熱情，對台灣本土的經營結構和條件也極了解；因此，長遠看，個別台商返鄉能創造的不僅是就業、生產或出口，也應能催化產業和經濟的連動效應。

「製造業重返美國」，其實不只是歐巴馬的命題，也是整個世界經濟企待解答的命題：當所有製造業都外移至廉價地區後，已開發國家的工人階層將何去何從？經濟結構的平衡如何維持？這個命題，今天落在享盡光鮮的蘋果公司身上，看它如何解題，如何擺脫血汗工廠的譏評，應是深耐咀嚼的挑戰。