Apple has announced plans to invest more than $500 billion (£396bn) in the United States over the next four years, with a key focus on advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence (AI). The tech giant’s initiative is expected to create 20,000 new jobs, primarily in research and development, software, and AI.
The investment includes the construction of a 250,000-square-foot factory in Houston, Texas, set to produce servers that were previously made overseas. These servers will support Apple Intelligence, the company’s AI platform. The facility, scheduled to open in 2026, is projected to generate thousands of jobs.
Apple is also expanding its data center infrastructure in North Carolina, Iowa, Oregon, Arizona, and Nevada. Additionally, the company is doubling its contribution to a US manufacturing fund from $5 billion to $10 billion. This fund was initially established during former President Donald Trump’s first term to boost domestic manufacturing.
Apple CEO Tim Cook expressed the company’s commitment to American innovation. “We are bullish on the future of American innovation,” Cook said, emphasizing that the investment marks Apple’s largest-ever financial commitment to US operations.
The announcement comes shortly after Cook met with Trump, who has advocated for increased corporate investment in the United States. Trump praised Apple’s decision, attributing it to his administration’s trade policies, including tariffs aimed at encouraging domestic manufacturing. He took credit for the investment on social media, stating that it reflected “faith in what we are doing, without which, they wouldn’t be investing ten cents.”
Trump recently imposed a 10% border tax on imports from China, where Apple maintains a significant manufacturing presence. The president has also proposed tariffs on goods from other countries, including Mexico and Canada, to promote US-based production.
Analysts see Apple’s investment as both a strategic business move and a nod to Trump’s push for domestic manufacturing. Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, described the announcement as a way to diversify Apple’s manufacturing footprint while aligning with the administration’s agenda. “Cook continues to prove that he is 10% politician and 90% CEO,” Ives noted.
This latest initiative builds on Apple’s 2021 commitment to invest $430 billion in the United States and add 20,000 jobs nationwide over five years. Despite the new plans, analysts believe Apple’s core manufacturing operations in China will remain largely unchanged, as the company’s Chinese facilities focus on areas outside those targeted by the US expansion.
