Foxconn looks to U.S. to open manufacturing plants, report says

Far-fetched? Um, yeah. But Foxconn reportedly is thinking of expanding its operation to the U.S.

Famous as the company that makes iPhones for Apple, China's Foxconn is now evaluating a few U.S. cities, including Detroit and Los Angeles, to determine whether they would be good places to set up shop, Digitimes is reporting today, citing so-called "market watchers."

It should be noted that it's not clear who these market watchers are or why they would have knowledge of Foxconn's plans. Beyond that, the company has been able to establish itself as a leading producer of goods in large part by capitalizing on the cheap wages that workers in China command. By coming to the U.S., Foxconn would effectively change its business model.

That said, the market watchers claim that Foxconn would be looking to produce LCD televisions in the U.S., which are typically easier to manufacture and require less hands-on time from employees.

Foxconn was reportedly in talks earlier this year with Sharp to acquire two of that company's assembly plants in Mexico and China. The assembly plants are designed to produce LCD televisions. Back in May, Foxconn invested $210 million for a new factory in China's eastern Jiangsu province.

Foxconn has come under fire over the last year for its labor practices. For instance, a Fair Labor Association audit found that the company had allowed for excessive overtime and in some cases, unfair wages. Foxconn promised to address those issues, and according to the FLA, has made strides in addressing its concerns.

CNET has contacted Foxconn for comment on the Digitimes report. We will update this story when we have more information.