SINGAPORE : Manufacturers looking to shift production out of China during the US-China trade war piled into Vietnam, attracted by its low wages and the government’s business-friendly reputation.
But strict lockdowns to contain a Covid-19 wave in the largely unvaccinated country have crippled manufacturing since July, forcing companies such as Nike Inc.
and Lululemon Athletica Inc. to shift production to other countries. That is prompting some businesses to rethink their heavy reliance on factories in Vietnam.
Nike, which makes around half of its footwear in Vietnam, said last week that it had lost 10 weeks of production there because of factory shutdowns.