TNC- Apple
headquarters in Cupertino, Northern California
produces high-tech products under its universal 'i' brand which includes iphones, ipods and ipads
- world's second largest IT company by revenue (after samsung)
- third-largest mobile phone manufacturer
- largest music retailer
has 98,000 full-time employees and over 450 retail stores in 16 countries
market is mainly richer, developed countries- 2011, 44% of sales were in the USA
designed in Silicon Valley, California and made in mainland China by Foxconn (Taiwan-based company)
European Headquarters is in Cork, Ireland
110 stored are in Europe and the Middle East and 25 are in China
Produced in China because
- large source of highly skilled, hard working and low paid workers
- creates investment into China and generates jobs
- a number of Taiwanese companies fought for apple which lowered production costs
- Shenzen where it was originally located offered a number of incentives
Impacts
In Ireland it employs 4,000 workers directly on imac production line and the call centre which is Cork's largest private employer
employs a further 2,500 as part of supply chain
However, many of the skilled workers are foreign nationals so Apple is accused of not creating sufficient work for local people
corporate tax avoidance- using subsidiary firms in other countries to declare profits and pay a lower rate of tax
China
Working conditions- In 2006, 200,000 workers were regularly working more than 60 hours a week for around $100 a month under 'sweatshop conditions'
Health and Safety- In 2010, fifty workers were poisoned by a toxic chemical used to clean ipad screens and sued apple as ventilation had not been installed
Student and Child Labour- Foxconn use them as a way of maintaining low-costs
Suicides- 10 suicides in 2009 caused damage to the reputation
Environmental
non-renewable materials to supply electricity to it's data centers
factories in China discharging pollutants and toxic metals into local water supplies