CHICAGO, October 23, 2026 – Inside a foundry near Pittsburgh, liquid titanium is being molded into a component for the iPhone Duo, the first foldable phone from Apple. “We’re pleased to announce today that Perryman Company will be our supplier of titanium through our American Manufacturing Program for up to $100 million over three years,” Apple announced on Tuesday.
It’s one of two major announcements. Apple has also announced that Qnity Electronics, a supplier based in Delaware which became a part of the program in March, will manufacture high-end films for the variable aperture camera module of the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro. These announcements demonstrate how Apple is seeking to define “Made in America” beyond assembly.
Why it matters
The American Manufacturing Program was unveiled by Apple last year and is part of a four-year pledge of $600 billion to manufacturing and innovation in America. The company claims that they collaborate with its suppliers in every state and provides over 450,000 American jobs.
American manufacturers make close to 100 parts in both the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro—ranging from wireless chips to silicon—that include the use of suppliers in over a dozen states. This is quite an achievement for a product that used to rely mainly on foreign suppliers.
That said, it would be wrong to think that Apple is moving its entire iPhone production process to America. Apple is merely increasing U.S. involvement in high-value materials and parts, not in the assembling of the whole thing.
Titanium and cameras
The most practical involvement by far comes from Perryman since their privately owned company in Houston, Pennsylvania, is responsible for melting, forging, and rolling titanium that includes a minimum of 80% recycled materials for use in the iPhone Duo. According to Apple, the grade 5 titanium body will help give the foldable smartphone durability.
Qnity’s contribution may not be obvious, but it could be even more important than Perryman’s. Qnity will produce the special film necessary for the variable aperture system used by the 48MP Fusion Main camera on the iPhone 18 Pro. The aperture expands when conditions are dark and contracts when there is plenty of light.
“American ingenuity is vital to all our products,” Sabih Khan, Apple’s chief operating officer, said in the announcement. “We’re proud to work with Perryman and Qnity Electronics to continue expanding our American Manufacturing Program and support U.S. jobs.”
A wider supplier map
These collaborations are not limited to Pennsylvania and Delaware only. Broadcom is upgrading its manufacturing facility at Fort Collins, Colorado, with an investment worth $1.5 billion in July; its multibillion-dollar deal is anticipated to yield more than 15 billion locally produced chips.
Corning, an Apple supplier ever since the launch of its first-ever iPhone in 2007, will manufacture all cover glass used for iPhones and Apple Watch globally at its Harrodsburg, Kentucky factory before 2026. Coherent will deliver laser technology from its Sherman, Texas facility used for Face ID and the new Dynamic Island feature on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.
Arizona is fast becoming another anchor. It is estimated that TSMC’s factory located in Arizona will generate more than 100 million Apple chips this year, whereas Amkor Technology’s Peoria factory for packaging and testing services – whose first two phases will hire more than 3,500 local employees – will include Apple among its first customers.
The fine print
It doesn’t stop there. The company makes it mandatory that direct suppliers source their Apple production using renewable energy by the end of the decade as part of its mission to achieve carbon neutrality across its whole value chain by 2030.
In addition, Apple launched its 20,000-square-foot Advanced Manufacturing Center in Houston, Texas, in August. It is used to train small-scale manufacturers about the engineering process involved in producing Apple products. This center produces AI servers and will start manufacturing Mac mini in the coming years.
However, only time will tell whether or not this partnership will change the economics of American electronics manufacturing. For the people of Houston, Pennsylvania; Harrodsburg, Kentucky; and Peoria, Arizona, the iPhone value chain is now here.
