At the end of last week we brought you news that the government of Brazil had approved tax incentives that would encourage Foxconn’s production of iPads in that country. Now it seems that the company is planning to build 5 more Brazilian factories.
According to a report in the Brazilian newspaper Folha (Google translation), the announcement came from the office of Julio Semeghini, Secretary of Planning and Development for the State of São Paulo. Though Foxconn apparently declined to confirm the information, Semeghini said that the country will begin negotiations with the company at the conclusion of the Chinese New Year. The negotiations are expected to deal primarily with the locations of the plants. Some will undoubtedly be in São Paulo, though other Brazilian states may want a share of Foxconn’s investment as well.
The five factories will each employ around a thousand workers each. They are expected to focus on the production of Apple’s iPad and iPhone, as well as related accessories, manuals, power supplies, and cables. There is no indication of when the factories might come online.