Apple’s largest production partner, Foxconn, has plans to build five new production plants in Brazil to help support the growing demand for the iPad tablet.

Officials from Foxconn and the Brazilian government will reportedly meet following the Chinese New Year to decide on where the factories will be built, but São Paulo is said to be pushing heavily for the investment. [...] In addition to helping supply Apple with iPads, the factories will be tooled for notebook and general electronics production. [...] A Foxconn representative declined to confirm its Brazilian expansion plans to Economia, calling the report “pure speculation.”

This news comes shortly after iPad production in Brazil got a generous tax break from local government following Foxconn reportedly investing up to $300 million in a São Paulo factory. The new production facilities could house up to 1,000 employees each, with officials from Foxconn and the Brazilian government said to be meeting after the Chinese New Year in order to make a final decision on the desired location.
With Apple selling through over 15 million iPads during Q1 2012, increasing production to help meet future demand is a no-brainer. And although Brazilian-made iPads may be a little behind schedule, adding more facilities to the mix can only help the situation in terms of availability.
Source: Folha via AppleInsider Read More