EXCLUSIVE Foxconn COVID woes may hit up to 30% of iPhone November output from Zhengzhou plant -source - Reuters

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TAIPEI, Oct 31 (Reuters) - COVID-19 woes astatine Foxconn's iPhone assembly works successful China's Zhengzhou metropolis could slash the site's November output of the Apple Inc (AAPL.O) instrumentality by arsenic overmuch arsenic 30%, a idiosyncratic with nonstop cognition of the substance said connected Monday.

Foxconn, formally Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd (2317.TW), is moving to boost accumulation astatine its mill successful Shenzhen metropolis to marque up for the shortfall, said the person, declining to beryllium identified arsenic the accusation was private.

The Zhengzhou works successful cardinal China, which employs astir 200,000 people, has been rocked by discontent implicit stringent measures to curb the dispersed of COVID-19 wrong the site, with respective workers fleeing the installation implicit the weekend. work much

The imaginable interaction connected accumulation comes amid a traditionally engaged clip for electronics makers up of the year-end vacation season, which is besides a premier clip for vendors specified arsenic Apple.

Foxconn connected Sunday said the concern was being brought nether power and that it would coordinate back-up accumulation with different plants to trim imaginable impact. Its stock terms fell 1.9% connected Monday versus a 1.1% emergence successful the broader marketplace (.TWII). work much

Apple did not respond to a petition for comment.

Foxconn is Apple's biggest iPhone maker, producing 70% of iPhone shipments globally which successful crook makes up 45% of the Taiwanese firm's revenue, analysts astatine Taipei-based Fubon Research said this month.

It besides builds the instrumentality successful India and confederate China, but its Zhengzhou mill assembles the bulk of its planetary output.

A 2nd idiosyncratic acquainted with the concern said galore workers remained astatine the Zhengzhou works and that accumulation was continuing.

STRICT COVID-19 MEASURES

Under China's ultra-strict zero-COVID-19 policies, localities indispensable enactment swiftly to quell outbreaks, with measures including full-scale lockdowns.

Factories successful affected areas are often allowed to enactment unfastened connected information they run nether a "closed loop" strategy wherever unit unrecorded and enactment on-site. Businesses person said specified arrangements airs galore difficulties.

Foxconn connected Oct. 19 banned eating astatine canteens astatine the Zhengzhou works and required workers to devour meals successful dormitories. It said accumulation was normal.

The measures led to radical who said they worked astatine the tract venting vexation astir their attraction and provisions via societal media.

Scores fled the tract implicit the weekend, with photographs and videos connected societal media purporting to amusement Foxconn unit trekking crossed fields successful daytime and on roads astatine night. Reuters could not instantly verify the authenticity of the posts.

Foxconn and section authorities person not disclosed the fig of immoderate infected workers astatine the site. Zhengzhou, superior of cardinal Henan province, has since Oct. 19 reported 264 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases.

Foxconn implemented closed loop measures successful March and July this twelvemonth astatine its smaller Shenzhen mill arsenic cases successful the confederate metropolis rose.

In May, the Shanghai works of different Apple supplier, MacBook assembler Quanta Computer Inc (2382.TW), was besides deed by idiosyncratic chaos aft the find of COVID-19 cases contempt a closed-loop strategy being enactment successful place. work much

Reporting by Yimou Lee; Additional reporting by Brenda Goh; Editing by Gerry Doyle and Christopher Cushing

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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