Apple: devices, global manufacturing and platform rules

Names and abbreviations on this page

US — United States. US$ denotes United States dollars.

TSMC — Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited. A company that manufactures semiconductor chips for customers.

ASML — ASML (company name). A Dutch company supplying machines used to manufacture microchips.

SEC — United States Securities and Exchange Commission. United States securities-market regulator.

Scale or institutional role

Annual net sales: US$416.161 billion

Period: Fiscal year ended September 27, 2025

Consolidated annual net sales in the 2025 Form 10-K; quarterly results are discussed separately [2]

Size and cross-border activity

Apple reported US$416.161 billion in net sales for fiscal 2025. Its more recent fiscal third quarter, ended June 27, 2026, produced US$109.4 billion; that quarterly amount is not annualized here. The annual report describes a manufacturing network relying heavily on contractors in mainland China, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam. Design, component sourcing, assembly, logistics and final sales are separate links in that network. [1][2]

Who owns and controls what

Apple is publicly traded. Its 2026 proxy states that each common share has one vote. Shareholders elect directors, while executives manage the business within that governance structure. A supplier manufacturing an iPhone component does not thereby own Apple; similarly, an investment manager reporting shares for client funds is not equivalent to a sole corporate owner. Outsourcing gives Apple commercial leverage through purchasing, while also exposing it to production and transport disruptions. [2][3]

Documented policy positions

Apple’s policy page identifies privacy, intellectual property and environmental issues among its advocacy topics. It describes registered lobbying, outside consultants and board oversight. The company says it does not contribute to individual political candidates or parties and has no political action committee, while making some ballot-measure contributions. These are disclosed corporate policies, rather than proof of an overarching political project shared by all multinational firms. [4]

Specific criticism to examine

In March 2024, the US Justice Department sued Apple over alleged exclusionary smartphone-market practices, including restrictions affecting developers and interoperability. A complaint records the government’s allegations, not a final finding on every issue. The relevant educational questions concern switching costs, app access and platform competition. They are distinct from whether international manufacturing itself is desirable. [5]

Related learning

TSMC: contract chip manufacturing

ASML: semiconductor equipment and export licensing

BlackRock: managing client capital and delegated influence

How size and influence are compared

Follow the money and the type of relationship

External Resources