 Supplier response to Apple’s friendshoringZiliang Deng, Youhan Wang and Haojun Xu Journal of Business Research, 2025, vol. 200, issue C Abstract: Friendshoring represents a strategic response by multinational companies that are shifting their overseas supply chains to politically aligned nations in light of escalating geopolitical tensions. This transition compels suppliers to embrace the friendshoring strategies of their clients, which may result in a compromise on efficiency. Our in-depth case study of Goertek, a Chinese electroacoustic supplier for Apple Inc., illustrates its significant relocation of production lines from China to Vietnam in response to Apple’s friendshoring pressures. This research underscores the critical role of balancing supply chain efficiency and security, deepening our understanding of what drives international production decisions. Furthermore, we highlight how Goertek adeptly diversifies its customer portfolio while navigating the complex dynamics of capture and escape in the buyer–supplier relationship of global value chains, demonstrating a proactive approach to thrive in an increasingly interconnected and uncertain world. Keywords: Buyer–supplier relationship; Friendshoring; Security; Geopolitics; Global value chain; Apple Inc. (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:200:y:2025:i:c:s0148296325004370 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115614 Access Statistics for this article Journal of Business Research is currently edited by A. G. Woodside More articles in Journal of Business Research from Elsevier |
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