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[1/4] FILE PHOTO: The logo of Foxconn is seen outside the company's building in Taipei, Taiwan November 10, 2022. The plant owned by Taiwan-based Foxconn, battered by China's strict COVID restrictions and facing critical year-end holiday demand, was offering enticing hiring bonuses and excellent pay. Hou said he was promised up to 30,000 yuan ($4,200) for just under four months' work - far above the 12,000-16,000 yuan Foxconn workers usually get for four months. In a rare example of large-scale labour unrest in China, Foxconn workers in COVID masks clashed with security personnel in white hazmat suits holding plastic shields. The company previously apologised to workers for a pay-related "technical error" that it said occurred when it was hiring.

☆ China's 'iPhone city' is lifting its lockdown after a wave of protests over the strict policy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Factory workers have been protesting against China's strict pandemic restrictions amid an Omicron surge. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyChina's "iPhone city" is ending its strict lockdown. Zhengzhou, a city in east-central China that is home to Apple's largest iPhone factory, Foxconn, is lifting its lockdown policy after five days, Bloomberg first reported, citing a WeChat post from the local government. The city made the announcement hours after officials in China said they would avoid strict restrictions, Bloomberg reports, after protests erupted in cities across the country against President Xi Jinping's zero-COVID policy. The protests threatened to impact Apple's iPhone output, with Bloomberg reporting that there could be a production shortage of almost six million iPhone Pros this year as a result.

☆ Apple has a huge problem at Foxconn's iPhone factory in China
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Juliana Liu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“Every week of this shutdown and unrest we estimate is costing Apple roughly $1 billion a week in lost iPhone sales. Now roughly 5% of iPhone 14 sales are likely off the table due to these brutal shutdowns in China,” he said. Security forces clash with workers during a protest outside Apple supplier Foxconn's factory in Zhengzhou, China, on November 23. Covid outbreakEarlier this month, Apple said shipments of its latest lineup of iPhones would be “temporarily impacted” by Covid restrictions in China. Even before this week’s demonstrations, Apple had started making the iPhone 14 in India, as it sought to diversify its supply chain away from China.

The factory’s iPhone 14 production has been slowed by a labor shortage that began last month, when a Covid outbreak and an accompanying lockdown sent workers fleeing back to their hometowns. China’s “dynamic zero-Covid” measures make it an outlier among the world’s major economies, causing growing public frustration and economic pain. Though officials announced new “optimized” measures this month, they are struggling to ease the burden without setting off a major exit wave. Despite the purported easing of measures in China, a single case can still bring targeted lockdowns and sudden quarantines. Covid measures were further tightened on Thursday in the capital, Beijing, which is already in near-lockdown with schools, parks and shopping malls closed and a negative Covid test required every 48 hours to enter public places anywhere in the city.

☆ China locks down major iPhone making city as Covid cases jump to a record high, sparking concerns that lockdowns could stretch beyond 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China posted a record number of daily Covid cases on Wednesday, amid a surge in the Omicron strain. It stepped up lockdowns in affected areas such as Zhengzhou, home to the world's largest iPhone plant. The restrictions come amid a surge of COVID-19 infections in China. China reported a record high 31,444 local infections for Wednesday, including asymptomatic cases, according to the country's National Health Commission. Despite the surge in COVID-19 infections in China, the Chinese and Hong Kong markets are flat at midday on Thursday.

“The new recruits had to work more days to get the bonus they were promised, so they felt cheated,” the worker told CNN. Apple, for which Foxconn manufactures a range of products, told CNN Business that its employees were on the ground at the Zhengzhou facility. Videos showed workers clashing with security guards and fighting back tear gas fired by police. More workers joined the protest after seeing livestreams on video platforms Kuaishou and Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, the worker told CNN. Having worked at the Zhengzhou plant for six years, he said he was now deeply disappointed by Foxconn and planned to quit.

☆ Unrest and production disruptions at Foxconn's main iPhone plant in China
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 23 (Reuters) - Hundreds of workers on Wednesday joined protests at Foxconn's (2317.TW) flagship iPhone plant in China, in the latest upheaval related to strict COVID-19 controls. Here is a timeline of problems at the world's biggest iPhone plant, located in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou. OCT. 21Foxconn tightens COVID-19 restrictions at the plant but says production remains normal. Cities in central China hastily draw up plans to isolate them, fearing they could trigger COVID outbreaks. NOV. 9The Zhengzhou plant continues to isolate its operations and staff despite the lift of a seven-day lockdown for the rest of the industrial park in which it is located.

☆ At least 38 killed in fire at industrial wholesaler in central China
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING — A blazing fire has killed 38 people at a company dealing in chemicals and other industrial goods in central China’s Henan province. A fire has killed 36 people at a chemicals and industrial goods company in central China’s Henan province. Online listings for the company, Kaixinda, said it was a wholesaler dealing in a wide range of industrial goods including what was described as specialized chemicals. The chemicals were found to be falsely registered and stored, with local officials found complicit in turning a blind eye to the potential threat. The densely populated and economically vital province has seen a number of deadly incidents leading to the arrest of local officials.

☆ Video: Factory fire kills dozens in Anyang city in central China
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

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☆ Chinese cities including Beijing report record COVID cases
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Currently COVID cases are rising in major cities such as Guangzhou and Chongqing, and zero-COVID policy continues, suggesting down-side risks to the near-term growth outlook," said analysts at U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs in a note on Monday. Shares of consumer staples (.CSICS) remained subdued on Monday, while stocks in tourism (.CSI930633) and transport (.CSI000957) slumped as domestic COVID cases surged and some investors booked profits on previous COVID easing bets. Beijing reported 407 cases on Monday, compared with 235 the previous day. Major manufacturing hub Zhengzhou in central China reported 2,981 new infections versus 2,642 a day prior. Chongqing, a southwestern city of more than 32 million people, also saw a jump in cases to 2,297 compared with 1,820 the previous day.

☆ Apple supplier Foxconn to update on outlook after China COVID curbs
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Foxconn's main Zhengzhou plant in central China, which employs about 200,000 people, has been rocked by discontent over stringent measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, with many workers fleeing the site. A source familiar with the matter said Foxconn aims to resume full production at its Zhengzhou plant by the second half of November. Apple said on Monday it expects lower shipments of high-end iPhone 14 models than previously anticipated following a significant production cut at the virus-blighted plant in China, dampening its sales outlook for the year-end holiday season. Shares in Foxconn, formally called Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, closed up 2.5% on Wednesday, outperforming the broader market's (.TWII) 2.2% rise. Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The districts in Guangzhou subject to mass testing this week include Haizhu, which has seen the bulk of the city's cases. Lily Li, a Guangzhou resident, said the outbreak in the city had worsened in the past two days, having spread to Tianhe, just north of Haizhu. While COVID cases in China are small by global standards, the policy response has been relentless and mass testing for large populations has been the norm since 2020. Mass testing is generally free, but some local governments are resuming charges for tests as their finances come under strain amid a slowing economy. A COVID testing company in Xuchang, a city in Henan province, said on Tuesday they would stop all testing-related work from Friday due to late payments from authorities.

☆ Foxconn persists with COVID curbs at Zhengzhou plant as district lifts lockdown
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Apple supplier Foxconn (2317.TW) said it would continue to maintain closed-loop operations at its iPhone plant in central China, even as the economic zone that housed the factory lifted a 7-day lockdown on Wednesday as planned. Foxconn said on Wednesday it would continue to implement the system. The company has declined to disclose the number of infections or comment on the conditions of those infected. The issues at the plant where Foxconn makes most iPhones caused several workers to flee the plant and have hit production, prompting Apple on Monday to say that it expects lower shipments of premium iPhone 14 models. Reporting by Beijing newsroom and Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Writing by Brenda Goh; editing by Christian Schmollinger and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/5] A man holds an iPhone 14 as Apple Inc's new models go on sale at an Apple store in Beijing, China, September 16, 2022. "We continue to see strong demand for iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models. However, we now expect lower iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max shipments than we previously anticipated," it said in a statement. Apple, which began selling its iPhone 14 range in September, said customers should expect longer waiting times. It has iPhone production sites in India and southern China, but its biggest is in the city of Zhengzhou in the eastern Chinese province of Henan.

[1/5] People look at Apple products as Apple Inc's new iPhone 14 models go on sale in Beijing, China, September 16, 2022. "We continue to see strong demand for iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models. However, we now expect lower iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max shipments than we previously anticipated," it said. Its main Zhengzhou plant in central China, which employs about 200,000 people, has been rocked by discontent over stringent measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, with many workers fleeing the site. Foxconn, formally Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, is Apple's biggest iPhone maker, accounting for 70% of iPhone shipments globally.

☆ Apple warns of hit to iPhone shipments from Chinese COVID disruptions
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Jaiveersingh Shekhawat | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A man holds an iPhone 14 as Apple Inc's new models go on sale at an Apple store in Beijing, China, September 16, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas PeterNov 6 (Reuters) - Apple Inc (AAPL.O) on Sunday said it expects lower iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone Pro Max shipments than previously anticipated as COVID-19 restrictions temporarily disrupt production at an assembly facility in Zhengzhou, China. "The facility is currently operating at significantly reduced capacity," the iPhone maker said in a statement. Its main Zhengzhou plant in central China, which employs about 200,000 people, has been rocked by discontent over stringent measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, with many workers fleeing the site. Separately, Taiwan's Foxconn, Apple Inc's biggest iPhone maker, said on Monday it was working to resume full production at a major plant in Zhengzhou that had been hit by COVID-19 curbs, and revised down its fourth quarter outlook.

☆ Apple supplier Foxconn says working to resume China production as soon as possible
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TAIPEI, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Taiwan's Foxconn, Apple Inc's biggest iPhone maker, said on Monday it was working to resume full production at a major plant in China's Zhengzhou as soon as possible that has been hit by COVID-19 curbs, and revised down its fourth quarter outlook. "Foxconn is now working with the government in concerted effort to stamp out the pandemic and resume production to its full capacity as quickly as possible." Foxconn, formally Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, is Apple's biggest iPhone maker, accounting for 70% of iPhone shipments globally. Having previously guided for "cautious optimism" in the fourth quarter, Foxconn said it will "revise down" its outlook given events in Zhengzhou. Computing products, smart consumer electronics products, and cloud and networking products all showed double-digit growth last month, compared to the same period last year, the company added.

☆ Analysis: China's markets clutch at economy reopening straws
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Nearly three years after the coronavirus was first detected in central China, daily cases hit a six-month high on Friday. Even the unverified social media post on Tuesday that sparked the market's exuberance said a "Reopening Committee" would not aim at relaxing the curbs before March. China stocks market cap'THE TEST OF HISTORY'But cooler heads warn that China's trajectory of COVID rule relaxation will not resemble this week's stock charts. Reopening from COVID will likely take "a steady and gradual approach", similar to China's lengthy but successful economic liberalisation, said Zhang Kaihua, a Nanjing-based hedge fund manager. Yin Peixin, investment manager at Shanghai Jianlong Asset Management Co., said: "If our leadership doesn't stick with zero-COVID, China will be thrown into a hellish condition."

☆ World's largest iPhone assembly plant under new Covid lockdown in China
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

An industrial park in China that is home to the world's largest assembly plant for Apple 's iPhones has been ordered to complete a seven-day Covid lockdown, according to a report by Reuters. The lockdown comes as Apple works to meet the demand for some of its new iPhones, which launched in September. The Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone, located in central China's Henan province, is imposing "silent management measures," the report said. The lockdown marks a retightening of measures in the region after Zhengzhou unexpectedly lifted some restrictions on Tuesday, the report said. Apple still relies heavily on China for the majority of its iPhone production, but the tech giant has been diversifiying its supply chain.

☆ Chinese zone housing major Apple iPhone plant imposes fresh lockdown
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Brenda Goh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 2 (Reuters) - A Chinese industral park that hosts an iPhone factory belonging to Foxconn (2317.TW) announced a fresh COVID-19 lockdown on Wednesday, raising questions about its impact on the Apple (AAPL.O) supplier's efforts to quell discontent at the factory. Foxconn, formally Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, is Apple's biggest iPhone maker, producing 70% of iPhone shipments globally. It makes most of the phones at the Zhengzhou plant where it employs about 200,000 people, though it has other smaller production sites in India and south China. Several employees also fled the factory, prompting Foxconn to offer generous bonuses to retain staff. read moreWednesday's lockdown marks a re-tightening of measures in Zhengzhou, which unexpectedly lifted a quasi-lockdown on its nearly 13 million people the day before.

☆ Apple supplier Foxconn quadruples bonuses to staff hit by China COVID lockdown
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The original bonus scheme was initially outlined in an article on Monday by the government backed Henan Daily newspaper citing a senior unnamed Foxconn executive. CLOSED LOOP TOLLVideos circulating on social media appear to show departing Foxconn workers laden with luggage and walking along village roads towards their home towns. Many people who said they were Foxconn workers turned to social media to complain about receiving insufficient food or about the uncertainty of the situation. Foxconn did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Henan Daily article. The Henan Daily is the official newspaper of Henan province, of which Zhengzhou is the capital.

☆ Apple supplier Foxconn gives bonuses to staff hit by COVID lockdown - media
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 1 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O) supplier Foxconn (2317.TW) is handing bonuses to workers at its Zhengzhou plant in central China, Chinese government-backed media reported, as it works to quell employee discontent at the site over COVID curbs. Foxconn did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Henan Daily article. The Henan Daily is the official newspaper of the province of Henan, of which Zhengzhou is the capital. It makes most of the phones at the Zhengzhou plant where it employs about 200,000 people, though it has other smaller production sites in India and south China. The Zhengzhou plant has been rocked by discontent over stringent measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, with several workers fleeing the site over the weekend.

☆ China's Oct factory activity shrinks as COVID curbs hit output, demand - Caixin PMI
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Caixin/S&P Global manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) stood at 49.2 in October, up from 48.1 in September and slightly above analysts' expectations for 49.0. In line with China's official PMI, which unexpectedly fell into contraction last month, waning factory activity weighed on the fragile recovery of the world's second-biggest economy amid a deepening property crisis and weakening demand. The softer activity continued to pressure the labour market as the manufacturing employment fell for the seventh month in a row. "In particular, the spread of the coronavirus in many regions significantly restricts both supply and demand," Wang said. The Caixin manufacturing PMI centres on small firms and coastal regions where sit a great number of exporters.

☆ Apple supplier Foxconn gives pay rise to staff hit by COVID lockdown - media
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 1 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O) supplier Foxconn (2317.TW) has increased wages and is handing bonuses to workers at its Zhengzhou plant in central China, Chinese government-backed media reported, as it works to quell employee discontent at the site over COVID curbs. Foxconn did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Henan Daily article. The Henan Daily is the official newspaper of the province of Henan, of which Zhengzhou is the capital. It makes most of the phones at the Zhengzhou plant where it employs about 200,000 people, though it has other smaller production sites in India and south China. The Zhengzhou plant has been rocked by discontent over stringent measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, with several workers fleeing the site over the weekend.

☆ Shanghai Disney visitors told to stay home after COVID case, Foxconn ups bonuses
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

SHANGHAI, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Several Shanghai residents received fresh stay-at-home orders and mandatory testing notices on Tuesday as authorities raced to trace contacts linked to a COVID-positive woman whose visit to the city's Disney Resort prompted its temporary lockdown. The Shanghai Disney Resort on Monday abruptly shut its gates, locking in all visitors at the time and only allowing them to leave, hours later, after they had tested negative for the virus. Marvis He was among Disney visitors caught up in the resort's lockdown, having flown in from Shenzhen in hopes of enjoying the park's Halloween themed fireworks. Foxconn has been one of the biggest corporate names affected by a quasi-lockdown of Zhengzhou, a major logistics hub in central China. In recent days, videos appearing to show departing Foxconn workers laden with luggage and walking along village roads towards their home towns have gone viral on Chinese social media.

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