Apple report lists 156 of its component suppliers
In an unprecedented move, Apple unveiled 97 percent of the company’s overall supply chain, revealing the names of 156 of the companies that work to supply the world’s largest technology company.
The move could point the Apple supply chain in a new and unheralded direction of transparency under new CEO Tim Cook, who took over for the late Steve Jobs last year. Rivals and investors pay large sums of money to consultants just to gain a glimmer of what Apple revealed late Friday evening, which shocked many industry professionals.
Enforcers of labor laws can also breathe a sigh of relief, as Apple has pledged to fight worker abuses after looking into hundreds of internal audits over the past several years. It comes as no surprise that Taiwanese supplier Foxconn was a big-time offender, as the Apple supply chain partner has come under fire for poor factory safety and grueling hours.
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All told, the 500-page report found six active and 13 historical cases of underage labor from its suppliers.
“With every year, we expand our program, we go deeper in our supply chain, we make it harder to comply,” Cook told Reuters in an interview. “All of this means that workers will be treated better and better with each passing year. It's not something we feel like we have done what we can do, much remains to be done.”
Check out all of Apple’s Supplier Responsibility information by visiting the report website here.
