Nike to expand operations in Vietnam

Kinder informed Chinh that more than 100 Nike factories in localities have resumed production following a hiatus caused by the prolonged COVID-19 outbreak.

He thanked the Vietnamese Government, its ministries, agencies and localities for their timely support to businesses in combating COVID-19 and restoring production.

PM Chinh inquired into the firm’s operation in Vietnam, saying the government had previously adopted tough administrative measures to curb the spread of the virus, which had partly affected production and business.

Now when the vaccination coverage is increasing, Vietnam has gradually reopened its economy, he said.

Kinder shared the view that the current situation has improved a lot, and that the firm is planning to expand operations in Vietnam.

Last month, Vietnamese officials hit back at rumours that Nike had planned to move production out of Vietnam. Phan Thi Thanh Xuan, Vice Chairwoman and General Secretary of the Vietnam Leather and Footwear Association (Lefaso), said the information was not correct.

“The complicated developments of COVID-19 in Vietnam have affected production of enterprises in the garment-textile and footwear sector, and Nike has moved a number of orders to other countries. But there was no such thing that Nike was moving production out of Vietnam,” she affirmed.

According to Xuan, 88 out of Nike's 112 factories in Vietnam are located in the Southeast region, which produce many best-selling Nike-branded sneaker products.

Pham Tuan Anh, deputy director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Industry Agency, echoed Xuan’s rejection, recalling a recent meeting between the Vietnamese Prime Minister and FDI businesses, during which the CEO of Nike affirmed that Nike would not leave Vietnam.

MoIT statistics show the first nine months of 2021 saw the footwear industry rake in US$13.33 billion from exports, a year-on-year rise of 9.8%.