As previously reported, Apple will be bringing manufacturing of one its Mac lines to the USA next year. What that report didn’t say, however, is which Mac line will be getting the distinction of being ‘Made in USA’. According to a report by Fortune, all signs point to the Mac Pro:

• A $100 million factory, Dan Luria, a labor economist at Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center told Bloomberg, employs about 200 people and produces about 1 million units per year
• Last year, Apple sold 18 million Macs, including 13.5 million MacBooks and 4.6 million desktops (iMacs, minis and Mac Pros). Only the Mac Pro and mini sell fewer than 1 million per year, and the Mac Pro is considerably heavier and more expensive to ship
• Apple, through a spokesperson and through Tim Cook himself, has already indicated that it will be producing a new Mac Pro in 2013
• Any extra labor costs associated with manufacturing in the U.S. can be more easily absorbed by a $2,500-$3,800 Mac Pro than by a MacBook or an iMac that sell for $1,000 to $1,300.
• Mac Pros are easier to build and customize than any other Apple product

It’s hard to argue with that logic, really. It’s been noted that the US-based production would begin on a much smaller scale when compared to operations like production of the iPhone, and the niche product that is the Mac Pro fits the bill quite nicely. The idea of labor costs being easily mitigated by the high prices of the Mac Pro also makes a lot of sense.

I’m calling this one a lock for next year. You can quote me, if it turns out to be true. If it doesn’t, I will deny it all.

[via Fortune]