Sony Has Moved Nearly All Its Camera Production to Thailand

A Sony production facility in Thailand

You probably already knew that the awesome Sony camera you have your eye on won’t be made in Japan. But if you’re assuming that it will be manufactured in China “like everything else,” you’ll be in for a surprise. According to Japanese financial publication Nikkei, Sony has moved more than 92% of its camera production out of China. If you buy a Sony camera in the U.S., Europe or Japan, it will be made in Thailand. The report says that only cameras sold in China will be manufactured there.

The news comes after reports of various tech companies moving production away from China. Canon moved manufacture out of China last year, Dell plans to phase out its China-made computer chips by 2024, and even Apple is reported to be moving some of its production from China to India and Vietnam. Nikkei reports that Sony made the decision for two reasons: political pressure and the need for supply chain diversification following the disruption caused by China’s overzealous “zero-COVID” policy.

While lens production will remain in China for the time being, it seems very possible that Sony lenses will—sooner rather than later—be manufactured elsewhere.