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Foxconn plans to assemble Apple's iPad in Brazil by end of November

Apple's manufacturing partner Foxconn is reportedly considering a $12 billion investment in new facilities in Brazil, and also apparently plans to begin building iPad units in South America by this November.

Foxconn, which assembles iPhones and iPads for Apple, is said by Brazil's president to be considering the $12 billion commitment toward new facilities, according to Retuers. President Dilma Rousseff said in a visit to Beijing that the Brazilian government is reviewing Foxconn's proposed plans.

Separately, Brazil's science and technology minister also said that Foxconn plans to begin assembling Apple's iPad at plants in Brazil by the end of November. The assembly would apparently take place at existing facilities, and would not be a part of the proposed $12 billion investment.

However, since Apple is a major partner of Foxconn, any investment from Foxconn in Brazil would likely have a future impact on the assembly of Apple products.

Talk of Apple products being assembled in Brazil gained traction late last year, when the eighth richest man in the world attempted to convince the iPad maker to assemble its products in the South American country. Eike Batista was looking to court businesses like Apple to fill in 90 square miles of space at the Port of Acu.

Foxconn's assembly factories in China have been the subject of much criticism, and Apple was even forced to make a public statement last year after a number of suicides occurred at the main Foxconn plant in Shenzhen, China.

Apple conducts an annual audit of its overseas partners and their factories. This year, that audit found one facility in the Far East that employed 42 underage workers, prompting Apple to terminate business with the facility.