HCMC – Nearly 200 factories across Vietnam that make sportswear for Nike Inc have restarted operations after a months-long suspension triggered by the latest Covid-19 outbreak, said Nike’s Chief Sustainability Officer Noel Kinder.
He announced the news at a meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the sidelines of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) World Leaders Summit in Scotland’s Glasgow yesterday, November 2.
Kinder expressed his gratitude to PM Chinh, Vietnam’s ministries, agencies and local authorities for offering prompt support during the height of the coronavirus spread. Nike pledged to continue to invest and expand production in Vietnam.
In early October, there was news circulating on social media that Nike would shift its production from Vietnam to regional countries. The news caused public concern as Vietnam is working to restart the production chain and restore the local economy after the pandemic.
However, the Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (LEFASO) and the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Industry Agency both rejected the news.
According to LEFASO, due to the impact of the pandemic, Nike had shifted some of its orders to facilities in other countries but did not move production out of Vietnam. The Nike side also confirmed that it did not shift production out of the country.
