Apple's use of Chinese manufacturing for the iPhone has been a top example of how reliant the US tech industry is on lower-cost assembly. However, there's a possibility that iPhone production could move to the US, assuming a report from Nikkei Asian Review is accurate.

Nikkei claims Foxconn, Apple's primary manufacturing partner, has explored the possibility of moving iPhone production to the US. If it were to make that move, the iPhone would no longer be assembled in China and imported into the country.

Foxconn and Pegatron were both asked by Apple to consider operating in the US. Pegatron immediately wrote off the possibility, while Foxconn has looked into it. Foxconn chairman Terry Gou has concerns about the impact of the US' higher production costs, so this plan is far from a done deal.

In discussing his company's use of Chinese manufacturing, CEO Tim Cook previously said Apple relies on Chinese workers because of "skill" rather than cost. Because the country is heavily focused on manufacturing, there are more people in China with the necessary "vocational kind of skills."

Another problem with moving to the US is that Asia is home to key Apple suppliers. The iPhone's A-series chips come from Taiwan, displays come from Japan, and memory chips are made in South Korea and Japan.