In response to the manufacturing industry returning, Apple's first batch of "Made in America" AI servers shipped from Texas

According to Zhitong Finance APP, Apple (AAPL.US) announced on Thursday that its factory in Houston, Texas has begun shipping advanced servers for artificial intelligence applications. These servers are a core part of Apple's commitment to invest $600 billion in advanced manufacturing, suppliers, and other areas in the United States. The timing of this server capacity coincides with the U.S. government's push for manufacturing return policies, which may resonate with President Trump's long-standing calls for tech companies to expand domestic production.

It is reported that the servers from the Houston factory will be equipped with Apple’s self-developed dedicated chips, providing computing power support for Apple Intelligence and private cloud computing services. Apple’s Chief Operating Officer Sabih Khan emphasized in a statement that the project team accelerated the construction of the factory to achieve early production and plans to continue expanding next year to increase output. This production base is expected to create thousands of jobs, marking an important transformation of Apple's server product line from overseas production to domestic manufacturing in the United States.

Looking back at the project timeline, Apple first disclosed its plan for domestic server assembly in the U.S. in February 2025. In August, CEO Tim Cook met with Trump to announce additional spending in the U.S., particularly through a project called the "American Manufacturing Plan" aimed at semiconductor companies. Cook presented Trump with a gift themed around American-made Corning glass used in iPhones and Apple Watches. In July, Apple also collaborated with Michigan State University to establish a manufacturing college, building a collaborative network between industry and academia.

Although Trump has publicly praised Apple's investment commitments in the U.S. multiple times, he has also occasionally urged for the complete transfer of iPhone production lines to the U.S. Industry experts point out that such a transfer involves multiple challenges, including supply chain restructuring and cost optimization, and is expected to take several years to achieve. In terms of tariff policies, the Trump administration previously implemented tariff adjustments on Apple's supply chain and then canceled them, highlighting the complexity of policy-making. Apple currently imports computers and phones from China, India, and Vietnam.

Cook stated in September that Apple is supporting U.S. manufacturing by collaborating with American semiconductor suppliers, and its investments and expertise are driving the complete manufacturing and packaging of chips in the U.S.

"You can create tremendous added value by globalizing your layout and then piecing together the end-to-end semiconductor supply chain," Cook said. "I cannot emphasize how important this is and how much benefit it will bring us."