Anxious China, Now Leaving... Where Are Samsung and Apple's 'Laptop Factories' Going?

Emerging Industrial Countries like Vietnam, Thailand, India Benefit
China and Foreign Laptop Production Share Expected at 12%

Global notebook manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics and Apple are attempting to diversify their production lines. In the past, most manufacturing bases were located in China, but now they are shifting to countries like India.

Global market research firm TrendForce estimated on the 22nd that worldwide notebook shipments this year will reach 173.65 million units, a 3.7% increase compared to the previous year. Despite conservative budgeting for IT-related equipment due to geopolitical risks and economic uncertainties, increased demand centered on entry-level consumers and the education market is offsetting this.

In particular, TrendForce predicted that the relocation of production lines driven by the de-China trend will become a key topic. Major notebook companies such as Dell and Apple are continuing the "de-China rush" to avoid geopolitical risks like the US-China conflict. As a result, TrendForce expects the proportion of notebooks produced outside China to rise significantly from 7.4% last year to 12.4% this year.

The countries that will benefit the most from the diversification of global manufacturers' production bases are emerging industrial nations such as Vietnam, Thailand, and India. These countries are characterized by low labor costs, improved infrastructure, and active government IT support policies.

In particular, influenced by Dell and Apple, Vietnam's share of the notebook manufacturing market is expected to rise to 6%, while Thailand's share is projected to increase to 2.3%, thanks to HP and Quanta factories.

Samsung Electronics also established a notebook production base in Noida, India, earlier this year. Originally, this factory mainly produced home appliances, but as the smartphone market expanded, it was converted into a smartphone factory starting in 2010.

However, TrendForce forecasted that the majority of global notebook production will still take place in China. This is because Chinese factories still have high notebook manufacturing capabilities and already possess comprehensive supply chains.

Meanwhile, TrendForce expects so-called "AI notebooks" equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) features such as Microsoft (MS) 'Copilot' to be released from the second half of this year, but consumer purchasing decisions are likely to be delayed due to the high initial prices. However, from next year, shipments of AI notebooks are expected to increase, mainly driven by corporate demand.