Apple: Weathering the Geopolitical Storm

On December 1, 2022, Apple Inc.’s chief executive officer Tim Cook was facing a hearing in U.S. Congress and media scrutiny about Apple’s involvement in China. For years, Apple had manufactured many of its products in China, and Cook faced questions about his views regarding protests and human rights in China, Apple’s role in it, and its relationship with the Chinese Communist Party. Significant shifts were taking place in U.S.–China trade relations, and as one of the world’s leading tech firms with a strong presence in China, Apple found itself in the centre of a geopolitical storm. Cook had to decide whether and how much to lower Apple’s dependence on China and where it should move its manufacturing activities, such as India, Vietnam, Mexico, or other countries.