Hon Hai, which makes the vast majority of the world’s iPhones from the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou, is now projecting a sales increase of 1 percent to 3 percent this year, Chairman Young Liu told Bloomberg News in a text message. That’s down from a Jan. 22 forecast of 3 percent to 5 percent, before the epidemic spread around the globe, and lags the 5.4 percent average of analysts’ projections.

The contagion is expected to disrupt Apple’s carefully calibrated production chain centered on China, while also dampening consumer demand and overall economic growth. Hon Hai, an important manufacturer also for major brands from HP to Sony, said Tuesday it still expects to be able to restart facilities throughout China on schedule, according to a text message sent to Bloomberg News. Suppliers such as Quanta Computer, Inventec and LG Display also said they would go back to work next week in China.

But while Chinese officials and companies have targeted Feb. 10 as the date to resume work in much of the country, doubts about the timing have grown in recent days as the virus death toll rises, workers find themselves stuck in municipal lockdowns and the transport of people and goods has been hampered.

”Given current market conditions, we are lowering to 1 percent -3 percent,” Liu replied when asked about whether Hon Hai will cut its original sales growth forecast for this year.

Hon Hai’s shares stood largely unchanged Wednesday after having slid about 11 percent since a broader Asian market selloff began in mid-January.

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