TDK, Bosch to produce advanced sensors and ICs for Apple in US

Japan-based TDK and Germany-based Bosch will start manufacturing advanced sensors and integrated circuits for various Apple products in the US. 

The announcement on Friday came after multiple foreign-base technology companies have announced plans to build manufacturing operations in the US, but is the first for a Japanese company producing components for Apple stateside.    In addition to TDK and Bosch, Apple also named Cirrus Logic and Qnity Electronics as new members of its American Manufacturing Program that previously included Texas Instruments and others.   Apple said it is expanding its program with $400 million through 2030.

Many of the stateside moves by tech companies have come in response to a push by the White House and the Trump administration to locate manufacturing in the US.  President Trump has been especially insistent over the past year that US-based Apple locate iPhone assembly and some manufacturing operations, now largely in Taiwan, in the US. Trump has also embraced domestic manufacturing to bolster the US supply chain and US independence from foreign supply chains in rare earth minerals and other materials essential to sensors and semiconductors. 

The US-based manufacturing initiative “will allow both companies to reinforce its advanced sensors manufacturing capabilities via Japan-US collaboration and, by producing at US facilities, contribute to a more reliable sensors supply chain,” TDK said.  “In the context of Apple’s current American Manufacturing Program initiative, this is the first time a Japanese company will product components for Apple in the U.S.”

TDK works with Apple on next-gen sensors for improved mobile functions, but also on many other electronic components and rechargeable batteries, TDK said.  According to Apple, the two companies have worked for 30 years on various technologies such as tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) sensors that supply iPhone features like cameras stabilization. TDK’s US facility will supply TMR sensors in devices shipped globally and “will increase the volume of chips that Apple will source from US silicon supply chains,” Apple added. 

Apple, Bosch and TSMC will work together to produce integrated circuits for Bosch’s new sensing hardware at TSMC Washington in Camas, Wash. for Apple product features like Crash Detection, Activity tracking and elevation, Apple said. 

“TDK is a long-time partner and we’re excited they’ve joined our American Manufacturing Program,” said Sabih Khan, Apple COO. “Apple is committed to working with suppliers—like TDK—to manufacture more in the US and this initiative is another powerful example of how much we can achieve together when we invest in advanced American manufacturing.”

Apple CEO Tim Cook said Apple believes “in the power of American innovation and manufacturing and we’re proud to partner with even more companies to produce critical components and cutting-edge materials for our product rights in the US.” 

TDK CEO Noboru Saito added: “Based on the decade-long relationship with Apple, when Apple asked what more we could do in the United States beyond our existing relationship, we [at] TDK saw that as an opportunity to grow our relationship even more, and in new ways. We are very proud to be working with Apple to accelerate US manufacturing. We share their commitment to do more in the US, and our teams are working side-by-side with theirs in the US.” 

Apple originally announced its American Manufacturing Program in early 2024 before Trump began his second term in office, according to some reports. However, the program did not take shape until last August when Apple increased its US commitment to $600 billion with companies such as Texas Instruments, Broadcom, Corning, Amkor and TSMC.  Last July, Apple said it would buy American-made rare earth magnets from MP Materials, the only fully integrated rare earth producer in the US.