MacBook Pro delivery time extends as assemblers in China continue to operate at low capacity

Apple MacBook Pro assembling partners in China are facing production challenges and it is likely that they won’t return to pre-lockdown production capacity until July because of manpower and logistic issues. This means that MacBook Pro delivery dates will slip further, by late June or early July.

In March, China faced an unexpected rise in COVID-19 cases, and immediately after the government put major cities under strict lockdown including manufacturing hubs in Shenzhen, Shanghai, Kunshan, and Zhengzhou. Since April, the tech giant’s suppliers like Pegatron, Quanta, General Interface Solutions (GIS) Holding, Unimicron, and Compal have been operating at low capacity.

MacBook Pro manufacturers in China likely to operate at 10% – 20% capacity until July

Even before the new COVID wave in China, MacBook Pro shipments faced supply constraints which created a supply and demand imbalance. Now, the health crisis in China has worsened the situation.

DigiTimes reports that notebook manufacturers in eastern China have resumed operations after easing COVID-19 lockdowns. However, factories in Shanghai are still running at 10% – 20% capacity including MacBook Pro assembling units which are operating under a closed-loop system like Foxconn. Production issues have resulted in an increase in MacBook Pro delivery time by weeks.

Shanghai is the base of operations for Quanta Computers, Apple’s sole supplier of high-end MacBook Pros, which have seen delivery times increase by three to five weeks since the China lockdowns. Some MacBook Pro configurations currently are not available for delivery until late June running into early July.

Another reason for an increase in MacBook Pro lead time is the delay in transporting units from the port to the stores.

Meanwhile, many products are said to be trapped on container ships waiting to enter ports, and until these products are received by retail and shipped to customers, large-scale pull-ins at production facilities are on hold. The slow restoration of operations has also reportedly resulted in component pull-in strength being far below expectations.

via 9to5Mac