Covid-19 expediting Wistron’s plans to move iPhone production from China to India, Vietnam

Wistron Corp., one of Apple’s manufacturing partners, said this week half its capacity could reside outside China within a year. The declaration underscored how the Asian assemblers that keep the world supplied with iPhones and other gadgets are shifting to a higher gear after the coronavirus showed the folly of staking everything on one country.

The move in production out of China has been underway since the trade war between Washington and Beijing reached its zenith last year. Now, Covid-19 is expediting that. Decisions by companies like Wistron and other Apple Inc. partners including Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Inventec Corp. and Pegatron Corp., could re-shape tech supply chains.

Taipei-listed Wistron is targeting India — where it’s already making some iPhones — along with Vietnam and Mexico, setting aside $1 billion to fund the expansion this year and next.