TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Production of the iPhone at Foxconn manufacturing sites in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou may be disrupted after a new 14-day lockdown came into force on Saturday (April 16).
The lockdown applies to the entire Zhengzhou Airport Economic Zone, a manufacturing hub where Foxconn’s factories are located, per a CNA report. No vehicles or people will be allowed to exit for the duration of the two-week lockdown.
However, authorities will allow certain personnel to pass out through the lockdown checkpoints if they show a negative PCR test completed within 48 hours, provide an approved itinerary through the country's contact tracing app, and scan the necessary QR codes.
The new measures may impact the Taiwanese subcontract manufacturer’s operations and cause knock-on disruptions to Apple’s supply chain.
The lockdown followed the mandatory testing of tens of thousands of Foxconn’s factory workers in Zhengzhou on Thursday (April 14). This was also flagged as a potential risk to output by Bloomberg since Chinese authorities have previously hastened to shut down whole manufacturing sites if positive cases are detected.