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<br>By Yimou Lee<br> <br>TAIPEI, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Foxconn is moving some iPad and MacBook assembly to Vietnam from China at the request of Apple Inc, said a person with knowledge of the plan, as the U.S.<br>firm diversifies production to minimise the impact of a Sino-U.S. trade war.<br> <br>The development comes as the outgoing administration of U.S. President Donald Trump encourages U.S. firms to shift production out of China. During Trump's tenure, the United States has targeted made-in-China electronics for higher import tariffs, and restricted supplies of components produced using U.S.<br><br>technology to Chinese firms it deems a national security risk.<br> <br>Taiwanese manufacturers, wary of being caught up in the tit-for-tat trade war, have moved or are considering moving some production from China to countries such as Vietnam, Mexico and India.<br> <br>Foxconn is building assembly lines for Apple's iPad tablet and MacBook laptop at its plant in Vietnam's northeastern Bac Giang province, [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/tour-du-lich-ha-noi-bac-kan-ho-ba-be-cao-bang-hang-pac-bo-thac-ban-gioc.html kynghidongduong.vn] to come online in the first half of 2021, the person said, declining to be identified as the plan was private.<br> <br>The lines will also take some production from China, the person said, without elaborating how much production will shift.<br> <br>"The move was requested by Apple," the person said.<br><br>"It wants to diversify production following the trade war."<br> <br>Foxconn said in statement: "As a matter of company policy, and for reasons of commercial sensitivity, we do not comment on any aspect of our work for any customer or their products".<br> <br>Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<br> <br>Taiwan's Foxconn, formally Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/tour-du-lich-ha-noi-bac-kan-ho-ba-be-cao-bang-hang-pac-bo-thac-ban-gioc.html tour hồ ba bể] on Tuesday announced a $270 million investment to set up a new subsidiary called FuKang Technology Co Ltd - a move the person said was aimed at supporting the Vietnam expansion.<br> <br>The contract manufacturer also plans to make television sets at the [http://en.search.wordpress.com/?q=Vietnam Vietnam] plant for clients including Japan's Sony Corp , with the start of such production slated for late 2020 to early 2021, the person said.<br><br>Sony declined to comment.<br> <br>The factory will also make other electronic products such as computer keyboards, the person said.<br> <br>Shifting iPad production to Vietnam will mark the first time Foxconn has assembled the device outside of China.<br> <br>The firm already plans to spend up to $1 billion expanding an iPhone assembly plant in India as "strongly requested" by Apple to diversify production beyond China, [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/tour-du-lich-ha-noi-bac-kan-ho-ba-be-cao-bang-hang-pac-bo-thac-ban-gioc.html tour hồ ba bể từ hà nội] people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters in July.<br> <br>Foxconn and peers such as Pegatron Corp are also considering building plants in Mexico, people with knowledge of the matter said, as Washington promotes near-shoring production.<br> <br>Foxconn Chairman Liu Young-way in August told investors the Sino-U.S.<br><br>trade war had split the world into two, saying his firm aimed to provide "two sets of supply chains".<br> <br>Other iPad assemblers include Taiwan's Compal Electronics Inc and China's BYD Electronic International Co Ltd . (Reporting by Yimou Lee; Additional reporting by Taipei newsroom, Brenda Goh in Shanghai and Makiko Yamazaki in Tokyo; Editing by Christopher Cushing)<br>