Apple is bringing Mac mini production to the United States for the first time, with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick set to formally announce that the company will build a new manufacturing facility in Houston, Texas.

The Houston campus will double in size to accommodate the new production line, which is expected to begin producing Mac minis later in 2026. The Mac mini, Apple's most affordable desktop computer, has historically been manufactured in Asia alongside the bulk of the company's product lineup.

What the expansion includes

The Mac mini line is only one part of a broader overhaul of the campus. Apple is also adding a 20,000-square-foot Advanced Manufacturing Center designed for workforce training.

AI server production at the Houston facility, which began in 2025, is reportedly running ahead of schedule. The expansion will increase that capacity as well, positioning the site as a dual-purpose hub for consumer products and enterprise AI infrastructure. The AI server push comes as demand for domestic data center infrastructure surges, driven by enterprise adoption of generative AI tools.

Apple expects the project to create thousands of new jobs. Texas already has a place in Apple's manufacturing network, with the state serving as the home of Mac Pro assembly for years.

Apple is framing the project within a $600 billion U.S. investment commitment. That figure includes a wide range of initiatives, from chip sourcing to new supplier facilities across the country. The announcement aligns with a broader wave of U.S. manufacturing commitments from major technology companies under sustained tariff pressure and federal incentives aimed at reducing reliance on Asian supply chains.

Chip supply chain plans

Apple is set to purchase more than 100 million advanced chips from TSMC's Arizona fabrication facility in 2026. Apple's commitment to buy over 100 million chips from that facility is being presented as both a vote of confidence and a financial boost for the project. The Arizona plant is part of TSMC's multi-fab expansion supported under the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act, a federal program designed to bolster domestic semiconductor production.

Lutnick has also been in ongoing discussions with Apple about potentially shifting iPhone production to the U.S. as well, though those talks have not directly affected the Mac mini decision.

Workforce training focus

The Advanced Manufacturing Center reflects one of the main challenges facing U.S.-based electronics production: workforce readiness. Decades of offshoring have left a limited domestic talent pool for precision electronics assembly, a gap that companies including Apple, TSMC, and others have cited as a hurdle to scaling U.S. operations. Apple's 20,000-square-foot training facility is intended to address that gap, at least for its own operations.