Recent rumours spreading on social media on Nike’s moving production out of Viet Nam to China and Indonesia are incorrect, stated Phan Thi Thanh Xuan, deputy chairwoman and general secretary of the Vietnam Leather and Footwear Association (Lefaso).

Xuan informed that 88 out of Nike's 112 factories in Viet Nam are located in the Southeast region, which produce many best-selling Nike-branded sneaker products.

She said complicated developments of COVID-19 in Viet Nam have affected the production activities of enterprises in the garment-textile and footwear industries, and Nike has moved a number of orders to other countries. However, there is no such thing like Nike is moving production out of Viet Nam, she affirmed.

Pham Tuan Anh, deputy director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Industry Agency, echoed Xuan’s rejection.

According to him, in the past period, some orders of the company were due, so in order to deliver the goods on time, Nike has moved these orders to their factories in some other countries. Anh noted that in a recent meeting with the Vietnamese Prime Minister and ministries, the CEO of Nike affirmed that Nike will not leave Viet Nam.

According to the MoIT, in the first nine months of 2021, the footwear industry's exports of all kinds were estimated to reel in US$13.33 billion, up 9.8 per cent over the same period last year. — VNS