AAPL Apple Inc

By Yoko Kubota and Takashi Mochizuki 

Taiwan's Foxconn Technology Group, which assembles Apple Inc.'s iPhones, is nearing a decision to invest in Wisconsin and could hold an event in Washington, D.C., as soon as this week to discuss U.S. investment plans, people familiar with the matter said.

In Wisconsin, Foxconn is looking at producing display panels that can be used in large-screen televisions, three people briefed on the plans said.

The investment, if confirmed, would be the latest by Asian manufacturers in the U.S. as President Donald Trump seeks to revive manufacturing there.

Foxconn, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., has said publicly that it is looking at seven states in the U.S., where it would invest a total of $10 billion or more to manufacture flat-panel screens and related equipment. In June, a company executive identified the seven as Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin.

In addition to Wisconsin, Foxconn is looking in the Detroit area for a possible plant, two people familiar with the plans said. It wasn't clear what that plant would make.

The people cautioned that a final decision hasn't been set and that Foxconn could make last-minute changes. They said Foxconn was contemplating events in Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin to discuss its plans.

In an emailed statement, Foxconn said it was reviewing "potential locations for establishing manufacturing facilities in the U.S." but declined to name them.

In June, Foxconn Chief Executive Terry Gou said his company would work with Sharp Corp., a Japanese electronics maker in which Foxconn acquired a controlling stake last year, to develop U.S. manufacturing plans. A Sharp spokeswoman declined to comment.

Mr. Gou has been meeting U.S. political leaders to discuss possible sites, people familiar with the discussions said. House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican who represents a district in southeastern Wisconsin, said earlier this month that he has met Foxconn officials.

Foxconn is the world's largest electronics contract manufacturer, assembling iPhones, videogame machines and other products. Its factories are mostly in China, and previous discussions to expand manufacturing to the U.S. haven't materialized.

In 2013, Foxconn said it might invest $40 million in Pennsylvania for manufacturing and research facilities. In 2014, Mr. Gou said he was studying the feasibility of an advanced-display manufacturing plant in the U.S., since it was expensive to ship large-screen televisions from Asia. Neither idea made headway.

Foxconn is building an $8.8 billion flat-panel factory in southern China's Guangzhou, where it will build advanced liquid-crystal displays with technology from Sharp.

Sharp's display panels are used in a wide variety of products including large-screen televisions, smartphones, tablets and car displays. If Foxconn decides to make displays in the U.S., it would need to find customers among makers of those products or perhaps build its own factories for the products.

A number of other Asian manufacturers have been looking at expanding U.S. production. In June, Samsung Electronics Co. announced a $380 million investment to expand its U.S. home-appliance manufacturing operations in South Carolina. Also in June, Humvee maker AM General said it is selling an assembly plant in Indiana to China-backed SF Motors for $110 million.

Write to Yoko Kubota at yoko.kubota@wsj.com and Takashi Mochizuki at takashi.mochizuki@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 24, 2017 04:34 ET (08:34 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2017 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.